Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) has appealed to the State government to help farmers whose cultivation had been affected by drought and facing hardships. In a statement, the hoho pointed out that due to insufficient rainfall, many farmers could not grow essential crops.
Appreciating the steps undertaken by the State government in the agriculture sector and for opening cold storage facility at the Agri Expo, Diphuphar, WSH expressed the hope that challenges like transportation, taxation and marketing would be looked at by the government so that youth would venture into this sector and bring prosperity to the State.
Meanwhile, WSH also appealed to the Sümis living in the western sector to explore all possible opportunities in the field of agriculture and allied activities and utilise them to the fullest for economic prosperity and sustainable livelihood.
Encouraging the youth to take up dairy, poultry, fishery, bee-keeping, aquaculture, sericulture, fruit farming, etc, the hoho suggested that growing of essential crops should be taken up on a large scale to enhance and improve “our” quality of life.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of the economy for a country like ours and therefore from it we need to mobilise all our resources from both government and public to strengthen our economy,” the statement stressed.
Observing that Nagaland had been blessed with vast tracts of fertile land that were enough not only to feed “ourselves but also for exporting outside”, the apex tribe body, however, regretted that lack of seriousness in the farming sector and complete dependence on outside supply and on the migrant labourers to cultivate the fields had brought both economic and social hardshipsto the community.
It pointed out that if the youth started engaging and tapping the rich resources available from the farming sector, then many of them would become prosperous and uplift the community.
But instead, it had been the other way round. Lack of dignity of labour and seeking short-cut prosperity had made many to turn to anti-social activities which was very unfortunate, the organisation noted.
WSH said after the Covid-19 pandemic, even the most advanced countries had realised that humanity would not survive without farming activity as humans needed food anytime – be it in war, flood, drought, pandemic, earthquake or during the normal times.
When all other industrial activities came to a complete halt and collapsed, agricultural activities continued to sustain the world populace, it mentioned.
“We cannot remain forever dependent on the food supply from outside to survive but achieve food security. The time has come for us to start engaging ourselves in modern and mechanised mode of farming,” the hoho emphasised.