DIPR
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 13
Thanamir village in Kiphire district has been declared a “vegetable village” by the government of Nagaland. Declaring Thanamir to be a “Vegetable Village” for its rich agriculture potential and bio-diversity, Parliamentary Secretary for Horticulture Neiba Kronu called upon the village and its surrounding villages to be enterprising and hard working. Neiba Kronu said this during his speech as the chief guest in Thanamir village. ‘Apple Festival’ is celebrated on September 12 in the area. The event is organized by the department of Horticulture and Thanamir village in Kiphire. The parliamentary secretary said that “we need a paradigm shift from shifting cultivation to more productive system of farming with applied technology for vibrant economy if our state has to attain economic freedom.”
Thanamir and its neighbouring villages under the Saramati mountain range, is endowed with rich eco-tourist interest and boasts of a rich bio-diversity suitable for horticulture. The village’s areas with ecological advantages have been demarcated as horticulture zones by the government of Nagaland.
Kronu said that the government may bring various innovative projects to uplift the economy of the State but if the people are not sincere or hard working “our goals would not be achieved.” The politician said that Saramati belt is suitable for apple farming and to make apple farming a success story of Nagaland, he urged the people to put sincere efforts into apple farming as a common farming choice. He urged the village to produce ‘large quantities to attract investor and buyers from mainland India, as India produces and consumes large quantities of apple as one of their main food stable.’
While urging the farmers to take help and guidance from the horticulture department who are in-depth with, Kronu also said that the department does not come for its benefits, but to help the people for their economic development. The Horticulture department would be providing community water tanks, cutters, high density apple saplings with proper canopy management and vegetable seeds for mix cropping, the parliamentary secretary said. Also, Parliamentary Secretary for Economic & Statistics, Excise and LMCP T Torechu addressed the village during the event. He thanked the government as well as the Horticulture department for taking the initiative of encouraging apple farming in the rural areas ‘which has started to yield its returns.’ Torechu added that the thrust sector of horticulture would not only have immediate impact on the livelihood of farmers of the thrust areas but would help the generation to avail economic uplift.
In her keynote address Director of Horticulture Watienla Jamir said that the farmers of the area started to grow apples since 1980 without assistance and guidance. However, realizing the potential of the Saramati belt in the horticulture sector, the Horticulture department took the initiative to encourage farmers to grow apples, she said. The Horticulture officer said that the assistance was by way of guiding in a ‘more scientific way of farming’ for optimum result.
