Correspondent
KOHIMA, JUL 15 (NPN): In a major boost to millet cultivation in Kohima district, the District Agriculture Office (DAO), Kohima on Tuesday inaugurated and commissioned a millet threshing machine and a specialised millet milling machine at Kezoma village.
Addressing the programme, DAO Kohima, Kekhrieletuo Yhome, said Kezoma had emerged as a model village in reviving millet cultivation at a time when the crop had witnessed steady decline over the past few decades. He commended the community for its collective efforts and commitment to restoring millet farming, noting that Kezoma is now among the leading millet producing villages in the district.
Yhome said the department decided to provide the machines in recognition of the village’s sustained efforts and to further encourage farmers to expand millet cultivation. He explained that threshing and milling are among the most labour intensive stages of millet farming and expressed confidence that the modern machines would reduce manual labour, save time, improve efficiency and minimise post harvest losses.
Urging farmers to make optimum use of the equipment, Yhome encouraged them to continue expanding millet cultivation. The DAO was accompanied by the Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer and Agriculture Inspector. Farmers were also given live demonstrations and hands on training on the operation and maintenance of the machines.
The programme began with a dedicatory prayer led by pastor Medongol Thami of Kezoma Baptist Church, who also read the Scripture. Speaking on behalf of the village, deacon board chairman Mezangol Yongo expressed gratitude to the Agriculture Department for the timely support. He said the introduction of appropriate farm mechanisation, coupled with traditional practices, was helping farmers improve productivity while reducing physical drudgery.
Yongo informed that Kezoma Baptist Church alone is cultivating nearly five acres of millet, while several churches, farmer groups and individual farmers in the village have also taken up millet cultivation on a larger scale, reflecting the growing interest in the crop.