The School of Agricultural Sciences at Nagaland University organised a hands-on training on sesame value addition for women farmers in Medziphema.
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DIMAPUR — A one-day hands-on training on the value addition of sesame and an interaction with farmers was organised at the School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University (SAS, NU), Medziphema Campus, on March 16.
The programme was organised by SAS, NU, under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Sesame, funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Project Coordinating Unit (Sesame and Niger), Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (JNKVV), Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
According to an update, it was attended by 20 women farmers from Medziphema village, Chümoukedima.
The programme was chaired by Dr. Hillel Chishi, guest faculty in the Department of Agronomy, SAS, NU. The project in charge, Dr. Debika Nongmaithem, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy, delivered the welcome address and a brief introduction to the programme.
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T Gohain, Professor and Head of the Department of Agronomy, SAS, NU, in his exhortation speech, dwelt on the importance of value addition of the crop alongside sesame cultivation. He appreciated the role of women farmers, especially in Northeast India, and strongly encouraged them to contribute to the state's oilseed production.
The project in charge deliberated on various market opportunities in sesame value-added products and urged the farmers to be torchbearers in sesame production and the state's overall oilseed production, as the state depends heavily on other states for oil. She encouraged the farmers to explore oil extraction possibilities through self-help groups or community-level initiatives to boost sesame oil production in the state.
She further exhorted the Medziphema village farmers to make use of their proximity to the university and avail help from various scientists to increase their agricultural production. Sesame products like ladoo, til with groundnut chikki, and til powder with condiments were prepared as part of the value addition programme.
The programme included an interaction with farmers and input distribution.