Correspondent
KOHIMA, MAY 9 (NPN): Naga People’s Front (NPF) farmers’ wing has announced to undertake a statewide “Appreciative Inquiry Tour” from May 9-25, 2026 to engage with farming communities and assess the agricultural landscape across Nagaland.
Addressing a press conference at the NPF central headquarters here on Saturday, NPF central farmers’ wing president Vikheho Swu said the tour, titled “Statewide Appreciative Inquiry Tour – Central Farmers’ Wing (NPF),” would cover all 60 NPF divisions in the state.
Swu said the initiative aimed to directly interact with farming communities and recognize farmers and entrepreneurs who have shown exceptional initiative with or without government support. He noted that several villages in Nagaland were celebrating their agricultural heritage through festivals cantered on local crops and products, creating sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities.
Swu also acknowledged government efforts to promote agriculture through the distribution of seeds and saplings, provision of farming tools and machinery, and identification of crop clusters to improve productivity and profitability.
According to Swu, the tour would identify outstanding Naga farmers, promote their work and celebrate their achievements.
The delegation would also visit Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), agriculture and allied department offices, and interact with officers and field staff to better understand their role in strengthening the sector.
Further, Swu said Nagaland had witnessed visible growth in livestock production and appreciated the contributions of government departments, financial institutions, banks, KVKs and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Highlighting challenges faced by the farming sector, Swu said agriculture in Nagaland was increasingly being sustained by the older generation as many young people moved toward white-collar jobs.
He also expressed concern over the impact of climate change on agriculture, saying erratic weather patterns were complicating traditional farming practices.
He said farmers would need to adopt climate-resilient crops and sustainable farming methods to ensure continued food production.
Responding to a query, Swu said the tour would remain confined to NPF divisions while covering all districts of the state. However, he added that any political party or individual was welcome to join the initiative, particularly in the context of the opposition-less government in Nagaland.
Swu said that while farming in Nagaland remained largely traditional, there was a gradual shift toward the cultivation of crops such as avocado, coffee, rubber and kiwi.
At the same time, he stressed that jhum cultivation could not simply be abandoned because it formed an integral part of Naga culture and way of life.
“Jhum cultivation is not limited to rice production alone but encompasses various crops, traditions, songs and ecological relationships involving insects, birds and animals,” he said, adding that any transition toward modern farming practices would require collective policymaking involving both the government and farming communities.
On how farmers would benefit from the tour, farmers’ wing general secretary Chikrokhoyo Kezo said the team had collected information from various agriculture-related departments and would disseminate it during village visits. He added that efforts would also be made to coordinate with departments for the provision of seeds, saplings and other support.
Responding to another query, Kezo clarified that the farmers’ wing was not in a position to directly provide machinery but would attempt to facilitate support through the concerned departments.
He said the wing functioned as a mediating body between farmers and the government and could recommend deserving cases to appropriate departments for assistance.
Farmers’ wing secretary and administrator Nguto Assumi said the organization was not an implementing authority but a political body that could also function as a pressure group.
Assumi said around 55% of India’s population was engaged in agriculture and allied professions, while the figure in Nagaland was nearly 70%. He said the wing aimed to understand how farmers in the state carried out agricultural activities and explore ways for them to benefit from central and state government schemes.
He added that the objective was to encourage farmers to continue traditional farming practices while also adopting progressive and scientific cultivation methods.
Assumi said the wing also planned to continue visiting villages known for crop-based festivals and agricultural celebrations, time permitting. He added that a report based on the tour findings would be submitted to the government for further action and support for the farming sector.