5 Mon villages selected as Horticulture Model Villages

KOHIMA, SEP 3 (NPN): Five villages in Mon district have been selected as Horticulture Model Villages (HMVs) under the State’s horticulture programme, Minister for Women Resource Development & Horticulture Salhoutuonuo Kruse informed the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Responding to a question by NPP member A. Nyamnyei Konyak, Kruse said Tanhai was selected in 2023-24 for citrus cultivation, Chenwetnyu in 2024-25 for large cardamom, Yonghong in 2025-26 for kiwi, and Changlangsu and Sangsa in 2026-27 for kiwi and Naga Mircha respectively.
Village-wise beneficiary details had been furnished in an annexure.
Konyak urged the Horticulture Department to undertake soil testing to determine suitable horticultural crops in different areas and requested extensive soil testing across the State to encourage farmers to cultivate crops suited to local soil conditions.
He also sought clarification on the status of the Sub-Divisional Horticulture Officer (SDHO) at Tobu, stating that the post had reportedly remained vacant after the incumbent retired.
Kruse explained that the Horticulture Model Villages programme was based on the concept of “one village, one crop”, aimed at developing horticulture clusters suited to particular villages.
It seeks to encourage intensive cultivation through innovative and modern technologies to improve production and productivity, besides strengthening marketing activities for farmers and Self-Help Groups.
The programme also aims to aggregate produce within model villages, facilitate primary post-harvest operations, empower communities to take greater responsibility for their development and improve the socio-economic status of farmers.
On the Sub-Divisional Horticulture Office post at Tobu, Kruse clarified that an officer had already been posted to the subdivision.