Though the state government had launched “Naga Organic” brand with the objective to facilitate farmers sell their produce with ease, yet there have been problems pertaining customers’ demand for quality during the past few years.
Adviser agriculture Mhathung Yanthan admitted that the draft organic policy prepared almost a decade ago had not been officially passed due to “lack of political will”.
Yanthan, from agriculture background, highlighted the dominance of natural farming over organic farming in hilly areas, and emphasised wider stakeholder consultations and organised markets to tap the state’s organic market potential.
Deputy director, organic, Dr James K Chawang disclosed that fogging with insecticides to control mosquitoes had led to residue issues in the soil and the crops. He said these posed a threat to “organic” cultivation. Chawang said organic farming was further impeded with farmers adopting shortcuts, with 50% tending to fail the tests for organic certification.
According to an administrative report of 2023-24, the state comprised of approximately 2,50,360 farming households cultivating 10,06,204 hectares (ha) of land, while 90,310 ha of land was under jhum cultivation. Jhum posed risks of residue deposition, decreased organic carbon content, biodiversity loss, and water body pollution. Additionally, there was a high likelihood of residue encroachment onto organic cultivation areas.
Chawang said department of Agriculture and Horticulture was implementing Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER) in Nagaland for commercial crops, with NEDFi overseeing value chain processing where processing units received 50% subsidy and 50% bank loan.
He informed that under MOVCD-NER, 13,000 ha land was cultivated by 13,504 farmers had been certified as organic by One Cert International Pvt Ltd; while 7,227 farmers cultivating 7,000 ha land underwent organic conversion in 2022-23 through Sikkim State Organic Certification Agency (SSOCA). The agency is accredited with the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and in compliance with the National Programme for Organic Production.
Currently, 10,000 ha were in the conversion period under SSOCA, which had replaced the blacklisted company One Cert International Pvt Ltd, and additionally 17 out of 38 FPOs were under certification process.
Chawang revealed out of the 38 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) formed, only seven or eight of these were thriving, while the rest were struggling to sustain them.
Meanwhile another official of the department admitted that remote villages faced challenges in accessing technology, transportation, and markets. Since there was insufficient infrastructure for organic farming, the official said only a limited number of agencies or NGOs were truly committed to accrediting and promoting organic farming in the state. He also emphasised on developing national-level agriculture policies and guidance for promotion of organic farming for both domestic and export purposes.
As per the report, Wokhaland Organic Ginger Producer Company Ltd supplied 10 MT organic ginger to Ayesha Traders in Odisha in April 2023, while Brightcrop Agro, Kolkata, signed an MoU with Tuensang Organic Producer Company and Mon Organic Spices Producer Company Ltd on December 2, 2023 for supplying 20 MT of organic foxtail millets. Further, he said KANA Organic Producer Company Ltd supplied 20 MT of premium organic turmeric to Subh Labh Traders on January 21, 2024.
Chairman of Mokokchung Organic Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd Imtimar recalled that Mokokchung used to be renowned for its organic cultivation and that, presently the focus was on soybean, ginger, sticky rice, chilli, tapioca, maize, and rice beans.
He said several villages have sharpened their focus on four or five specific crops by adhering to Agriculture Department’s guidelines aimed at encouraging farmers to transform farm stubbles and waste into fertilisers to enhance soil quality.
Meanwhile, explaining about the challenges in organic farming, The Green Caravan chairman Richard Belho, who has dedicated 18 years to farming, pointed out that the primary hurdles faced were scarcity of skilled human resources, followed by lack of financial support as banks hesitate funding due to high risks associated with farming.
He said that despite such challenges, Nagaland has immense potential for organic farming with its favourable weather condition and soil fertility.
He dispelled the notion that organic farming was expensive and stressed proper training could enable local producers to compete with farmers from outside. He urged young and educated entrepreneurs to take the lead in agriculture and show the way forward.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chete Lohe Chansu of Organic Kiwi Producer Company Ltd said Kiwi farming in Phek district has become popular as farmers have taken to the new fruit on learning about its success.
He acknowledged the challenges faced in exporting kiwi due to lack of proper market channels. Lohe said buyers from outside compare the locally grown Kiwi unfavourably with imported ones in terms of size and appearance.
He also said organic farming certification was not existent, due to absence of a well-defined market strategy for organic fruits which contributed to the difficulties faced by farmers. He also said cited lack of a suitable warehouse for storage which required proper storage facilities.
A single mother and vendor in Kohima, Aneio, who sells her home grown vegetables, revealed that customers were more interested to buy the produce if they were locally sourced, organic, and free from fertilisers, though it was not so at most times.
Another seller, Mushfad, who owns a vegetable wholesale shop in BOC area, Kohima admitted that it was easier to sell vegetables such as -beans, brinjals, and chillies to customers if customers were told that the vegetables were organic.
Another vegetable grower said various districts were selected for organic cultivation, but marketing challenges persisted, with attempts to meet market demands falling short. He stated that despite attracting interest from major partners such as Big Basket, challenges in logistics persisted.
Citing the demand for Nagaland pineapple in Dubai, he revealed that farmers preferred the local market due to higher prices. He admitted that there was focus on both quantity and quality, but buyers sought consistency in supply, which farmers were unable to.