Officials and staff of Agriculture Department, Kohima, villagers at Kezoma Baptist Church Millet farm during the commissioning of water sprinklers and pumps for winter crops on September 23. (Morung Photo)
Water sprinklers and pumps commissioned at Kezoma village
Morung Express News
Kezoma | September 23
To facilitate irrigation for winter crops, the District Agriculture Office (DAO), Kohima, today commissioned water sprinklers and pumps at Kezoma village, along with a demonstration of their use and related farming techniques.
Speaking at a millet farm cultivated by the Kezoma Baptist Church (KBC), District Agriculture Officer, Kohima, Kekhrieletuo Yhome, stressed the need to sustain farming among the younger generation, while noting that agriculture in villages is mostly undertaken by older farmers.
He said modern farming practices and appropriate technology are needed to make agriculture less labour-intensive while retaining beneficial traditional practices.
With farmers increasingly facing changing climatic conditions and dry spells, Yhome said irrigation support was particularly important for cultivation during the dry season.
The officer also highlighted that the sprinkler system has lightweight pipes that can be carried between farms, with one sprinkler covering about 150 feet. He said that, when used efficiently, irrigation could be spaced by up to 10 days, enabling farmers to cover larger areas.
He urged the commissioned to make the equipment available not only for its own farm but also for the wider village community.
KBC Deacon Board Chairman Mezangol Yongo said around 80 percent of villagers were farmers and acknowledged the Agriculture Department’s continued support through machinery, improved farming practices and training.
He said abandoning agriculture would ultimately harm the farming community and welcomed the assistance for dryland cultivation.
Chairing the chaired programme KBC Associate Pastor, Mhasivizo Thami informed that the second cycle of millet this year was sown in the second week of July and is expected to be harvested by the end of October.
The first cycle, sown in March, was harvested in the first week of July. Officials and staff of the Agriculture Department attended the programme.
