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Reyivolü Rakho
Kohima, July 16 (EMN): Farmers in Nagaland had to face unexpected challenges this year as their harvested crops and vegetables were unable to reach the market due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Although farmers in the villages rarely cultivate for commercial purposes or produce crops on a large scale, they try to make a living by selling the products they harvest from their fields.
When Eastern Mirror interacted with a few farmers from Chiechama village under Kohima district, they shared that transportation was one of the main challenges they faced this time. They could neither transport their vegetables and fruits to Kohima town nor sell them on the roadside and highways due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In spite of all roadblocks, it was Entrepreneurs Associates (EA) that stepped in to bridge the gap and provide farmers with a ray of hope during the lockdown.
The chief executive officer and co-ordinator of EA, Neichute Doulo, shared how EA ended up helping the farmers in selling and transporting their produce during this extraordinary situation, ‘while having absolutely no plan at all’.
It was when EA went to distribute relief materials to farmers in various districts during the lockdown that they came to realise that farmers had no source of income anymore.
"Therefore, we started buying theirs to sell here (Kohima), which is why staff of EA was reduced to street sellers (sic)," the CEO said.
"We were absolutely not prepared at all. We ended up buying goods when we delivered relief materials and then brought something back from the farmers," he added.
In the month of May, when there was complete lockdown, besides door-to-door delivery, "our staff had to sit on the street and sell because we don't have cold rooms and storage facilities," he said.
EA links entrepreneurs from Nagaland and beyond with farmers, giving a platform for buying and selling of products. It also provides loans to entrepreneurs for transport facilities, in order to carry farmers' produce and sell them in the market, however, it does not really get into marketing.
"Only during this lockdown, we've been forced to do marketing for the farmers," Doulo said.
Lockdown is a learning process and ‘an inspiring moment for Nagas’, and the people have not done too bad and can still do better, he added.
Farmers need to develop a ‘sense of commercialising their produce’ and they need to get the business scale in place, he said.
"If people can encourage the farmers to produce for commercial purposes as well; if the entrepreneurs and market players are encouraged to develop cold storage facilities, in the next few years, there will be a positive impact," the CEO said.
Sadly, these facilities are not readily available, he said. "But it's worthwhile because when we give income to the farmers, it's very satisfying and when we learn that we produce so much, it gives us the sense of being good," he added.
‘For a long time, we thought that everything is being produced from Assam but it is not true. It's the traders in Dimapur who made us believe that everything was coming from Assam,’ he said, adding that he was surprised to know during the lockdown that so much of vegetable and fruit is being cultivated within Nagaland.
He said that watermelon is produced largely in the Bade area and the 'good thing is that all are organic'.
"On the other hand, all this time, people thought that watermelons are coming from West Bengal, which is not true," he said. Doulo went on to give more examples such as bottle gourds and lime, which are found in abundance in the Dimapur belt.
"Covid lockdown is making us realise that we are not too bad. Of course we need to do much more. We can improve on what we already have; we can scale up what we are good at. The good part of Covid is that people are suddenly inspired. Nagas are realising that not all products are coming from Assam, which is one good awakening point," he said.
Offering ways to create a local market, he suggested that local entrepreneurs, who 'feel for the farmers' are required.
"There will be many people who will be willing to help the farmers. Because of Covid, entrepreneurs are beginning to realise the need to do something for the farmers," he added.
While sharing some of the challenges, Doulo said that absence of cold storage and warehouse facilities is one big issue. Further, transportation and marketing are two other challenges they face as entrepreneurs. On multiple occasions, he had also suggested the government ‘to act fast’ to uplift agriculture sector.
On July 13, EA had bought cucumbers from farmers at Chiechama village. The village is about 29 km from Kohima town and is known for cucumbers, which is found in abundance during this time of the year.
One of the Chiechama farmers, Keneale Rupreo, said that she generated an income of about INR 30k to INR 40k from selling cucumbers, last year.
However, this year, she is not able to sell her produce as her outlet, the highway, is not feasible now due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Another farmer said that they usually practice multi-cropping in their fields, cultivating paddy, cucumber, maize, pumpkins etc. This year, ‘some sort of pest’ had destroyed their fields, particularly maize, she shared.
Two employees of EA, Zaremo T Kikon and Wemhekhro Akami, said that they had been collecting and transporting vegetables and fruits from district to district and selling them in Kohima. Most of these goods are being sold via home delivery and wholesale. They added that EA is doing this solely to help the farmers.