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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 25 (EMN): A two-day ‘Orange festival’ got underway in Rüsoma village under Kohima district on Tuesday. It is the second time in a row the festival has been held in the village.
It may be mentioned that Rüsoma villagers had planted oranges in hope to earn livelihood and be self-reliant about 36 years ago. Today, the village is reaping the fruit of their hard work.
"The orange festival is taking place in the village because of the active participation of enthusiastic farmers (both young and old)," Rüsoma village development board secretary Visier Vimera said while addressing the inaugural programme held on Tuesday at the village ground.
Back in 1986, the village declared itself as an "organic gardening" village having realised that villagers could earn income from gardening, he informed. He informed that the notion to organise an orange festival was conceptualised to encourage rural agri and allied entrepreneurship and also to popularise the organic products of the village, which in turn would provide the villagers with income generation avenues and employment opportunities.
It was also envisaged to give exposure to the rural farmers to outsiders from a home setting. Because through exposures, there will be a change of mindset towards progress and prosperity, he said adding the festival would also foster the team spirit of working together for a common good among village members and participants of the festival.
Kethoselie Zhale, chairman of Orange Grower Committee, Rüsoma, said that instead of depending on government jobs, the villagers decided to do what they can to earn a livelihood. As a result, they decided to grow oranges back in 1986.
'It has now been more than three and half decades since the villagers started growing oranges and we are doing quite well till date', he added.
He mentioned that more than 400 households from nearly 600 total households in Rüsoma are now engaged in growing oranges. There are over 22,000 orange trees in the village of which they planned to increase it to 36,000 orange trees, he informed.
The chairman also informed that the village generated income of about INR 42 lakh last year. They are hoping for an income generation to increase to at least 62 lakh in the coming years, taking into account planting more orange trees.
He added that the area covered by orange plantation is approximately three pura (which is about 7.5 hectare) of the village. "We are planning to make Rüsoma an orange forest", Zhale said.
Most of the oranges find market in Kohima, Dimapur and Assam, he added. In case of any challenges with regard to the market, he said that the eight-member committee would shoulder the responsibility of finding one.
Special officer to the chief minister, Neibalie Rio, informed that 5450 hectare of Nagaland is covered by orange plantation and 43,151metric tonne of oranges have been harvested and sold in Nagaland and Assam markets.
The first edition of Rüsoma Orange festival was held in 2020. The village has planned to make the festival a yearly event.
Apart from oranges, various handlooms and handicrafts, vegetables, varieties of rice seeds are put on display.