Y Vikheho Swu along with party workers of the NPF Central Farmers Wing during the Appreciative Enquiry Tour held at Pughoboto Town Hall on May 23.
Pughoboto, May 24 (MExN): The NPF Central Farmers Wing (CFW), led by its president and former minister Y Vikheho Swu, conducted a programme at Pughoboto Town Hall on May 23 as part of its statewide Appreciative Enquiry Tour.
Addressing the gathering, Swu said the Farmers Wing was not merely meant for distributing schemes but aimed at understanding farmers’ problems, identifying loopholes in policies and conveying grievances to the government.
He questioned who truly benefits from government schemes and subsidies when many genuine farmers continue to work without support.
Referring to Nagaland’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the Centre’s “Viksit Bharat 2047” initiative, he urged people to reflect on their contribution towards achieving self-sustainability and inclusive development.
Swu also spoke on the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative and expressed concern that Pughoboto was yet to contribute a recognised product while several other districts had successfully identified and promoted local products.
He encouraged farmers to identify quality produce unique to their areas and stressed the importance of adapting to scientific and modern farming methods.
Describing ICAR-KVK as an important technical resource for farmers, he said it could help cultivators understand crop suitability based on soil and climatic conditions.
Citing the COVID-19 pandemic and global conflicts, Swu said agriculture remained one of the most resilient sectors during crises and urged farmers to move away from outdated practices while embracing technology.
He highlighted kiwi, persimmon, avocado, coffee cultivation, floriculture, fodder production and composting as potential income-generating activities.
Swu noted that Pughoboto remained one of Nagaland’s pioneering coffee-growing regions and recalled the recent launch of coffee cluster initiatives at Tuophema and Ghotovi village.
At the same time, he emphasised that Jhum cultivation should not be abandoned as it carries indigenous knowledge and remains deeply connected to Naga culture and traditions.
Speaking at the programme, Hyusin Thyug highlighted the cordial relationship between the Sumi Aphuyemi and Rengma communities and urged people to support Swu politically in future elections.
Rukravolie Rulho said the primary objective of the tour was to encourage people not to leave agricultural land uncultivated.
Another CFW vice president, Hibo, urged party workers to work collectively and submit timely reports on farmers’ wing activities.
During the interaction session, various government schemes, including NSRLM, CMMFI, IDAN and MSME initiatives, were discussed.
As part of the tour, the delegation also visited Ghathashi village and interacted with farmers at a beekeeping farm run by Tokheho Achumi and a community Jhum cultivation project undertaken by Ghathashi Baptist Church for church building construction.
The tour team included officials from the Central Farmers Wing, Central Women’s Wing and office bearers from the Aghunato and Tseminyu division farmers’ wings.
