Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang has stressed the need of a Central Agriculture University in Nagaland to enhance productivity in agricultural and horticultural crops for meeting the growing demand.
Addressing a three-day national level seminar on ‘Sustainable Horticulture vis-à-vis Changing Environment’ at the School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development (SASRD) under Nagaland University in Medziphema campus under Dimapur district here, an initiative of the Horticulture Society of North East India (HSNEI) is bringing together delegates from 20 states.
The delegates would include eminent researchers, policymakers, producers, marketing personnel, development agencies and other stakeholders on a common platform to collate information on various aspects of horticulture, Zeliang recalled that the state government, had in the past, sent a proposal to the government of India for setting up a Central Agriculture University in Nagaland.
He suggested that, to begin with, the present SASRD campus and the Central Institute of Horticulture at Medziphema could initially be utilised as a campus for the proposed agriculture university.
On horticulture sector of Nagaland, Zeliang said it has the potential to meet the need for food, nutrition and healthcare besides providing better returns on farm land and better opportunity for employment.
He said there has been increased demand for horticultural produce because of greater health awareness, rising income and increasing population.
Zeliang emphasized on preserving the fragile eco-system of the Himalayan region, particularly the North East by promoting horticulture in a big way so as to reduce areas under jhum cultivation.
Since there were growing concerns about sustainability in all aspects of farming due to changing environment and climate change, horticulture too needed to be made sustainable.
The Chief Minister further explained that this meant horticulture also needed to become ‘climate smart’. (UNI)
