Crop cannot be fully organic if its seedlings are inorganic: Kikheto
A view of uninfected cardamom farm in Zunheboto district. (Photo Courtesy: Department of Horticulture)
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 3 (MExN): Commissioner & Secretary of Horticulture department Y. Kikheto Sema on Thursday said a crop cannot be called organic even if the crops are organically grown in the state if the origin of the seedlings are inorganic.
Interacting with farmers and officials of Horticulture department during a visit to a cardamom farm in Zunheboto district, the Horticulture commissioner observed that Nagaland calls itself an organic state but was sceptical about the type of seedlings for various crops brought from outside the state.
Kikheto said even if the crops are organically grown in the State, if the origin of the seedlings are inorganic then the crop does not become fully organic. On this, he encouraged the farmers and department officials to strive towards preserving and circulating the seedlings grown from within the state to become a full organic state.
The Commissioner & Secretary recalled that almost the entire cardamom plantation was destroyed few years back owing to infected seedlings (brought from outside the state) distributed to the farmers.
The Commissioner & Secretary who was on his maiden visit to Zunheboto district after recently assuming office visited Kiwi and Cardamom plantations at Awotsakili village where the two crops are climatically favourable and farmers are increasingly taking up the plantations. The Horticulture department is the nodal department for these two crops and various other produces including spices.
Also while visiting the Kiwi farms, the farmers apprised the Horticulture officials that they were using Israel technology of Drip Irrigation in the farms which is not helping much and instead appealed the government to assist them in constructing permanent structures with iron pipes and wires for the vines of Kiwi to grow and expand.
The farmers said that they are currently using bamboos for the vines to climb but said they have to construct every year which is taking a toll on their expenditure. The Kiwi produce during previous year was very good in Awotsakili village but the produce came down last year and this year owing to heavy rain, the farmers reported. Kikheto pointed out that Drip Irrigation was a government policy however said if the farmers were not finding it useful then the department would discuss their problems and concerns with the government. Talking about marketing their produces, the Commissioner & Secretary said the department is trying to find a market linkage and at the same time trying to find a way where middlemen would not exploit the farmers with low rates of buying their produces.
The Commissioner & Secretary was accompanied by District Horticulture Officer, Zunheboto, I. Chubatoshi and retired Transport Commissioner, Hosheto Achumi who is assisting the farmers in Kiwi and Cardamom plantations in his native village, Awotsakili.
