Women drive Nagaland's agriculture but face structural challenges, Governor calls for sustainable growth
Kohima, July 29
Women form the backbone of Nagaland's agrarian economy, constituting around 65 to 70 per cent of the state's agricultural workforce and carrying out more than 80 per cent of core farming operations, but still face challenges, officials said on Wednesday.
A senior official of the state's Agriculture Department said that despite their dominant role in sowing, transplanting, harvesting, seed conservation and managing local food systems, women farmers continue to face significant social and structural challenges.
According to the official, nearly 70 per cent of Nagaland's population depends on agriculture for their livelihood, with women accounting for around 65 to 70 per cent of the agricultural workforce.
The issues came into focus during a review meeting of the Agriculture Department chaired by Governor Nand Kishore Yadav at Lok Bhavan in Kohima.
During the meeting, departmental officials gave a detailed presentation on the organisational structure, ongoing schemes and programmes, achievements, challenges, and future plans for the overall development of the state's agriculture sector.
The department highlighted its efforts to enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable farming practices, strengthen irrigation infrastructure, expand farm mechanisation and improve farmers' income through various Centrally Sponsored Schemes as well as state government initiatives.
Officials also presented an overview of Nagaland's agricultural profile, including production targets, cropping intensity and the progress achieved under different development programmes aimed at modernising the sector.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of several flagship schemes, including Krishonnati Yojana, PM-Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), National Mission on Edible Oils, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER), National Mission on Natural Farming, PM-Kisan, Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), Per Drop More Crop (PDMC), Rainfed Area Development, Agroforestry and other initiatives designed to strengthen the agriculture sector in the mountainous state.
The department also apprised the Governor of the progress made in expanding oil palm cultivation, promoting organic and natural farming, creating water harvesting infrastructure, strengthening farmer training and capacity-building programmes and improving market linkages for agricultural produce to ensure better returns for cultivators.
Officials also highlighted the key challenges affecting the sector, including fragmented landholdings, inadequate infrastructure, difficult terrain, and poor road connectivity, and discussed measures being adopted to address these constraints and improve the delivery of agricultural services.
Governor Yadav appreciated the efforts of the Agriculture Department in implementing various developmental programmes across the state and emphasised the need to further strengthen sustainable agriculture, improve farmers' livelihoods and ensure the effective implementation of government schemes for the benefit of the farming community. He urged the department to continue adopting innovative approaches, enhance convergence among various stakeholders and work towards making agriculture more productive, resilient, technology-driven and market-oriented.
Senior officers from the Governor's Secretariat and officials of the Agriculture Department were present during the review meeting.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has also underscored the importance of strengthening agriculture and allied sectors, noting that nearly 70 per cent of the state's population depends on farming for its livelihood.
Addressing a function in Kohima recently, the Chief Minister observed that Nagaland continues to remain largely a consumer state, relying heavily on goods and agricultural products sourced from outside. However, he expressed confidence that the establishment of food processing and incubation centres would significantly boost local production, encourage value addition and generate greater employment opportunities while paving the way for enhanced self-reliance in the state's agriculture and allied sectors.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Nice to see the focus on organic farming and natural methods 🍃 Northeast has so much potential for sustainable agriculture if we invest properly in infrastructure and market access. The fragmented landholdings issue is tough but can be solved with cooperative models. Kudos to the Agriculture Department for highlighting ground realities.
The Chief Minister's point about Nagaland being a consumer state is spot on. We import so much from outside when local farmers could produce more. Food processing centres will help but need proper training and funding. Also, why aren't women specifically mentioned in the scheme implementation? They do 80% of the work, yaar.
As someone from a farming background, this article resonates deeply. My mother and aunts do all the sowing and harvesting while my uncles handle marketing and paperwork. The structural challenges are real—women often can't access credit or training easily. The Governor should push for gender-sensitive budgeting in agriculture 💪
Interesting to read about Nagaland's agricultural challenges. The mountainous terrain and poor connectivity are major hurdles. I hope the move toward natural farming and oil palm cultivation doesn't harm biodiversity. Sustainable growth should balance tradition with modern techniques.
Good to see Governor Yadav engaging with these issues. But honestly, we've heard similar promises for years. The real test will be implementation at the grassroots level. Are women farmers being consulted in the design of these schemes? Also, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and other schemes have to actually reach the remote villages in Nagaland.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.