CGOF visualize all villages attain economically vibrant in next 20 years
Chizokho Vero
In a welcome move, the Chakhesang Gazetted Officers’ Forum has identified the need to evolve a long term plan for sustainable development for Phek district in general and the Chakhesang villages in particular. The identified areas of management were agriculture and allied sector, infrastructural development and human resources development.
“The main focus was to identify the need of the people with respect to the overall development, increasing the household income in particular contributing to the economy of the community in general,” said Vengota Nakro while highlighting the initial works in the preparation of master plan for sustainable development in Chakhesang villages of Phek district at the just concluded general session of CGOF.
Referring to the agriculture, it asserted that there had been a paradigm shift from subsistence agriculture to market economy in the mindset of the villagers. The traditional agriculture in the form of jhum cultivation and TRC, which Chakhesang people are well known for, is not sufficient to meet the needs. So the people started cultivate cash crops to generate income with cardamom, passion fruit and ginger as the most common crops.
Referring to the crop zoning initiated by the department of agriculture and horticulture which were helpful in identifying suitable crops for a particular agro-climatic region, the CGOF had carried out exercise in listing potential landrace cash crops and compared with those crops that are in demand in the market and recommend them for cultivation in a commercial scale.
“There is a vast scope for up-scaling the production of commercial crops such as cardamom, passion fruit, chilli and other species that are having market demand. However, it was observed that the villagers lack resource for their production and value addition to the product,” said Nakro adding that the CGOF would explore ways and means wherein rural farmers are able to access micro-credit facilities at their door steps and also add values to their product in the form of primary processing by providing appropriate technology.
On animal husbandry context, it said that the ban on meat import compelled the people their own livestock production to meet their requirement. As a result, there was a marked increase in number of backyard pig rearing throughout Chakhesang inhabited villages. While also maintaining that there had been insufficiency in the production of piglet, the CGOF are in the process of identifying ‘breeder families” whose lineage is known for piglet production, and mobilize resources to enable them to produce sufficient piglets to meet the demand of the backyard pig rearing activities.
“The CGOF, in consultation with the farmers’ organisation and village functionaries intends to see that, in the course of five years, Kohima city has sufficient supply of pork from Chakhesang faming household. On biodiversity, it said that Phek district, adjoining Myanmar, has an immense potential for developing a bio-corridor with it and greatly benefit from such corridor.
“Much of the remnant of old forest stands are still available in the mountain ranges such as Zanubu, Kapamedzu, Sukrunuzubo and others. The wealth contained in these primary forests are yet unexplored” Nakro said.
The CGOF intends to mobilize resources, in the next three years, for the following works; map the resources, assess the need of the people for its conservation, build capacity of youth for its conservation, strengthen existing community conserved areas and formulate management plan for sustainable harvest. For this purpose, project proposal had been prepared to be sent to prospective donors for funding. The CGOF also felt that vibrant growth centres are established that become commercial hubs and become an outlet for the product of the rural villagers.
Presently, the Forum intends to focus on the following locations, Chozuba, Pfutsero, Khuza, Sakraba, Chetheba, Chizamai, Sekruzu, Razeba and Zuketsa. While also admitting that there is a road communication to almost all the Chakhesang villagers of Phek district and all villagers are electrified, it, however, lamented that the quality is not upto the expectation of the users.
Attempts are being made to persuade the power, that be, to improve, Nakro said. “The members of the Chakhesang Gazetted Officers Forum playing as the role of philosopher, friend and guide for the Chakhesangs, we visualize that, in the next twenty years, all our villagers are economically vibrant and independent. They are self-reliant and no longer subsidy oriented. With the assistance of CGOF market yards are established and farmers are accessing markets outside Nagaland,” Nakro said.
