Nagaland won the “Best State in Horticulture Award 2024” at the Agriculture Leadership Awards, which shows how clever its horticulture projects are. Minister Salhoutuonuo Kruse took the award in New Delhi and said that the government’s policies are aimed at promoting prosperity in rural areas and long-term farming.
Horticulture Development Initiatives
Key policies have mostly focused on improving nutrition and the economy by encouraging diverse farming and organic certification. One of the things that was done was to register the Naga Mircha, Naga Tree Tomato, and Naga Sweet Cucumber as Geographical Indications (GI). This made the product more valuable and protected native heritage.
Institution of Farmer’s Producer Companies
13 Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPCs) needed to be set up. These FPCs have helped organic farming on 6800 hectares of land, which has led to world recognition and national awards for crops like pineapple, kiwi, and large cardamom.
About Farmers’ Producer Company (FPCs)
- Formation and Structure: Farmers’ Producer Companies (FPCs), which were made possible by the Companies Act of 2002, let farmers pool their resources and get better deals. They need at least ten producer members or two institutions to work, but there is no limit on the number of members, and each member has one vote in the democratic management system.
- Government Support and Tax Benefits: Schemes like the Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme help FPCs with help from the government. Also, up to INR 100 crore in income from FPC operations is not taxed. This encourages farmers to work together to get their goods to market and supports environmentally friendly farming methods.
- Impact on Farmers: FPCs have made it much easier for small farms to get into markets, cut down on transaction costs, and use new technologies. Farmers get better prices, more efficient work, and higher total productivity when they pool their resources and work together.
Market Integration and Expansion
The Department of Horticulture has started air shipping services to make it easier for Naga Organic Pineapple and Organic Kiwi to get to markets. Getting Nagaland’s goods to other parts of India has been made easier by this connection. The creation of “100 vegetable villages,” which are meant to help 10,000 families, is an important project. This scheme not only makes more food available, but it also helps communities become self-sufficient.
Promotion of Exotic and Native Horticulture
Nagaland is making progress in sustainable farming by growing unusual plants like Kiwi and Dragon Fruit and coming up with the innovative idea of a “Horticultural Model Village.” Each village is only responsible for growing one crop so that resources are used more efficiently and output is higher.
