[caption id="attachment_230945" align="aligncenter" width="500"]
Youths from across the Northeast who undertook training in post-harvest management of horticultural crops, pose for a group photograph at their stall during the entrepreneurship and skill development programme, at Medzhiphema.[/caption]
Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Jan. 30: The Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH) has inaugurated a three-day entrepreneurial and skill development programme at its campus in Medzhiphema, on Jan. 29.
Dr. NK Patle, Home Commissioner for Horticulture said that the institute was established to promote horticulture in the Northeast region. Emphasising on the good quality of horticulture produce in the region, Patle said that apart from production, post harvest management was important. He urged the rural youths to become entrepreneurs.
“Skill development training is giving to youths from Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram and we want to focus on the trainees and find ways to promote them,” Patle said.
Apart from programme son marketing linkages, certificate courses are also provided where the CIH links the trainees with government schemes, that being the objectives of the developmental programme, Patle elaborated. The Horticulture Commissioner, DAC and FW, Dr BNS Murthy stressed on the importance of skill development. Murthy urges the trainees to have a sense of responsibility in serving the society through the skills acquired.
“there are 30,000 plant species with which we can survive on, exploit those species available in the region while also taking it to the mainstream and market it,” Murthy encouraged adding that farmers should be given the opportunity to market their products.
“The youth need not depend only on government job; the certificates acquired will be a good asset for promotion and beginning of entrepreneurship,” Murthy asserted.
Murthy made known that there was a large scope in developing nurseries in Nagaland for various plants. He urged the trainees to make use of facilities at the CIH and he asserted that the institute will make a sincere effort in solving problems for anyone who approaches the institute.
“We want to see the production, productivity grow and also look for new technologies whereby providing urban facilities in rural areas,” Murthy concluded.
Director of department of Horticulture, Nagaland, RE Lotha said that horticulture offers a “wide range of business opportunities and made known that production of horticultural commodities has exceeded field crops.
“Skill training is very necessary in horticultural enterprises it adds value to the product apart from also helping in giving shelf lives to the product,” Lotha said.
Lotha also expressed excitement about how the Northeast of India is being observed by the whole world in terms of agriculture and horticulture. “Something special should come out; we have a lot of responsibilities to live up to the expectation of the world,’ Lotha said while urging the trainees to apply all seriousness in their business.
Lotha also spoke to
and made known that at around 500-600 persons have been trained in different categories such as district and State level under the department of Horticulture.
He also informed that equipments and packaging materials that add value to the products are provided.
When asked if there is a follow up on how the trainees are doing post training, Lotha informed that the department identifies those who are serious and place them in various programs with the department that is available apart from also providing a minimum start up financial assistance.
“In the near future we want to connect the buyers in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries with the entrepreneurs over here,” Lotha said while making known that if there is a market linkage, production will remain constant.
