Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav emphasized the need to make agriculture in the state more productive, resilient, and market-oriented during a review meeting of the Department of Agriculture at Lok Bhavan in Kohima on Tuesday. He stressed the importance of adopting sustainable farming practices, innovation, and effective implementation of government schemes to improve the livelihoods of farmers.
The governor commended the department’s efforts in implementing various developmental programs across the state. He urged officials to adopt innovative approaches, strengthen convergence among stakeholders, and ensure that government initiatives reach the farming community effectively. The department presented an overview of its organizational structure, ongoing schemes, achievements, challenges, and future plans during the meeting.
According to the department, nearly 70% of Nagaland’s population depends on agriculture, with women constituting around 65% of the agricultural workforce. The department also presented the state’s agricultural profile, production targets, cropping intensity, and progress under various programs. The meeting reviewed the implementation of key schemes, including RKVY, NFSNM, MOVCD-NER, SMAM, and PDMC.
Officials briefed the governor on efforts to expand oil palm cultivation, promote organic and natural farming, develop water harvesting infrastructure, strengthen farmer training and capacity building, and improve market linkages for agricultural produce. The department highlighted implementation challenges, including fragmented landholdings, inadequate infrastructure, difficult terrain, and poor road connectivity, and outlined measures being taken to address them.
