Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 24 (EMN): Terming the present crisis caused the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic as an eye opener, advisor to Food and Civil Supplies, NSDMA, and LMCP, Pukhayi has sought change of mindset by reversing to the traditional forms of farming for food sufficiency.
Pukhayi said the present crisis due to the nationwide lockdown to combat the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic should be an ‘eye-opener’ for all Nagas. In this context, he has sought the change of mindset of the Naga people.
"We have to realise now that we have to go for farming and then we can have self-reliance depending on us only and not others," he said while speaking to a sections of the press here in Kohima on Sunday.
Stating that the current situation was a ‘chapter for the Nagas to change their mindsets to go for farming,’ Pukhayi asserted that undergoing through such trial only then the Nagas would learn the lesson to be self-reliant and abandon the habit of hankering after easy money.
Pukhayi also reminded how the village leaders had told him, during the visit to his constituency, that he should not give them even one kilo of rice during the lockdown.
Pukhayi has lauded the wise decision of the village leaders and expressed the hope that the present crisis would be an ‘eye-opener’ for the Nagas to evolve measures to be self-reliant.
Informing that essential commodities are reaching to all the districts, he stated that the concerned department was prepared with the requisite amount of rice for further distribution in all the districts. He also informed that the government had purchased 38000 metric tons of rice and had already sent them to all the districts.
He further informed that the department has been working to ensure reaching of the essential commodity to all the districts during the nationwide lockdown.
Pukhayi also stated that "Nearly two million are yet to apply for the ration cards in the state.
Amid with reports of pest infestation in several parts of the state even as the world is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, officials from the directorate of Agriculture visited Mokokchung district on May 22 and the 23rd and interacted with the farmers.
During the visit, the officials conducted awareness programmes on preventive measures and agricultural advisories against the Covid-19 with the farmers. Issues and problems faced by the farmers like crop damages caused by natural calamities and insect-pests infestations were also deliberated, a DIPR report stated on Saturday.
Field inspection to the affected areas were also carried out by the officials.
Besides awareness programmes, around 500 each of face masks and hand soaps were handed over for the farmers.
The team was headed by joint director Letkholal Hangsing and deputy director Dr. James Kuba along with officials and staff from the district agriculture office, KVK and ATMA, Mokokchung. The district officers were further apprised to remain vigilant and dedicated towards the service of the farmers during the current global economic crisis.
Meanwhile, an official team led by joint director of Agriculture Dr. I Amenla and the deputy director Velhusalu Vero toured Peren district on May 21 and 22.
The tour was undertaken with an object to create awareness, preparedness, encourage and motivate the extension personnel and the farmers of Peren district.
During the tour, the team interacted with host of officials from the Agriculture department, KVK, ATMA, and the farmers on issues pertaining to agricultural activities, Fall Army Worm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) infestations in maize and potato crops respectively.
The team also handed over 2000 each of masks, hand soaps and pamphlets on farming advisories on Covid-19 for the small and marginal farmers.
The team also called on the deputy commissioner, Peren, and apprised him on the various agricultural activities undertaken by the department in Peren district.
The team also visited various ATMA farm schools, oil palm areas and interacted with the farmers.