WORKSHOP ON AGRICULTURE: STRATEGIES, POLICIES

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WORKSHOP ON AGRICULTURESTRATEGIES, POLICIES
PRACTICES FOR NORTH EASTGUWAHATI30th SEPT to
1st OCT 2010
GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
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• INTRODUCTION
• Nagaland is entirely hilly except for a corridor
  of narrow plain areas adjoining Assam.
  Agriculture is the mainstay of people of
  Nagaland, intricately interwoven with the
  socio-economic and cultural practices of
  different tribes. Over 75 engaged in
  agriculture and allied activities. Building on
  these background realities, Department seek to
  promote technically sound, economically viable,
  environmentally non-degrading and socially
  acceptable Sustainable development using the
  natural resources land, water and genetic
  endowment. A major shift in policy was made from
  subsistence level to a commercial oriented
  production programme.Taking into account 2001
  census of total population of 20 lakh it is
  envisioned that by 2020 the population will stand
  at 51 lakh _at_ 5 per annum Growth Rate wherein
  food grain requirement stands at 9.33 lakh MT.
  

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BASIC INFORMATION

• 1. Population Census (2001)
• Total population 19,88,636
• Rural population 16,35,815
• Total farming household 1,49,171
• 2. Total Geographical Area 16,579 Sq.km
• Total cultivable area 7,21,924 ha
• Gross cropped area 4,19,760
  ha
• Double cropped area
  1,20,000 ha
• Net cropped area 2,99,760 ha
• Gross irrigated area
  91,840 ha
• Net irrigated area 72,670 ha
• 3. Food-grain Production (2009-10)
  3,57,120 MT
• 4. Oilseeds Production (2009-10) 86,020
  MT
• 5. Commercial Production (2009-10) 3,02,350
  MT

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RAINFALL DATA FOR THE YEAR 2008, 2009 2010
(FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST)
Average rainfall in mm
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STRATEGIES 1. Sustainability Natural Resource
Management Natural resources like land and
water to be given top priority in course of
planning for agriculture development.
Sensitization of the farming community with the
environmental and impact of climate on
agriculture. Balanced and conjunctive use of
bio-mass, organic and inorganic fertilizers and
controlled use of agro-chemicals through
integrated nutrients and pest management (INM
IPM) will be encouraged for sustained production.

• 2. Incentives/Financial support
  
• Commercial production of identified crops
  as per crop zoning to be ensured as and when
  incentives for its production are provided to the
  farming communities.

• 3. Disaster Management
• Recent phenomenon of climate change has paused
  threats to the Food Security. Sudden erratic
  behavior of monsoon cause havoc for agriculture
  production. Contingent plans to mitigate such
  situations will be evolved.

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• 4. Efficient water management Double
  Cropping
• Farm land is left fallow after harvest of
  Kharif crops due to non- availability of
  irrigation facilities. Crop production can be
  doubled if adequate irrigation facilities are
  made available by way of Integrated watershed
  Development of Rain water, Ground water, Soil
  water and Run-off water efficiently, Percolation
  tank, recharge tank etc.

• 5. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)
  Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Chemical fertilizers consumption is low (1.5
  kg/ha in terms of NPK)
• Emphasis given to use organic manures along with
  fertilizers for higher production and
  sustainability of crop and soil productivity.
  Natural resources management through Integrated
  Pest Management (IPM), applying bio -control
  agents and bio- pesticides will be practiced.

• 6. Research-Extension-Farm linkages
• Productivity of crops is far below the national
  average. Yield gap between Research and farmers
  field will be bridged through strong extension
  support and transfer of appropriate technologies.

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7. Watershed development for sustainable
farming Highest priority to holistic and
sustainable development of rain-fed areas through
a watershed development approach for developing
dry lands on a watershed basis with wider
adoption of the best practices to enhance crop
yields.

• 8. Seeds Input management
• Production of quality seeds procurement policy
  
• Adoption of Seed Village and intensify Seed
  Village scheme
• Enhance Seed replacement rate with quality
  High yielding
• Strengthen seed testing laboratory
• Formation of Seed Sub-committee
• Promote System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

9. Promotion of Farm Mechanisation Farm
mechanization for improving crop productivity and
reduce cost Women friendly farm equipments Agro
Service Centers will be promoted.
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10. Fallow Management Jhum
intensification Recent studies of Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO) have shown that
much of the blame on Jhum system was misdirected.
Instead of discouraging the jhum cultivation,
improving upon the existing system through
indigenous fallow management jhum
intensification will be addressed since the
system cannot be done away with.

• 11. Organic Farming
• Restoration of soil health and fertility with
  the following strategies
• Augmenting production and use of non-chemical
  fertilizer suited to different farming
  situations.
• Developing Organic Package of Practices.
• Organic Farmers Association to facilitate
  certification

12. Integrated farming To minimize the risk of
the farming, integrated farming system/ approach
will be encouraged in the State. Combination of
different farm productionsystemsviz.agriculture,pl
antationcrops,horticulture,livestocks, poultry,
agro-forestry, sericulture , pisciculture etc
will be promoted.
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• 13. Agriculture Marketing, Infrastructure
  linkages
• Development of rural market infrastructures
  linkages
• Agri-Export Zones
• Enforcement of APMC Act
• Man power development

• 14. Women in Agriculture
• Women are the largest agricultural work-force in
  the state. Gender sensitization empowerment and
  developing entrepreneurship skill

15. e -Agriculture To providing
interactive Demand Based Agricultural Information
through ICT to help farmers access information on
commodity prices, package of practices for
cultivation, crop care and in forging direct
relationships with potential buyers in order to
provide better value for their produce.
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16. Post Harvest Management Value addition To
work out strategies on value addition to final
product with due consideration on
cost-effectiveness for consumers.
17. Agricultural Link Road
Agricultural link roads are rural based and play
a vital role in providing connectivity to
potential areas accelerating production and
productivity, fostering transportation of
Agricultural inputs and produces, besides
generating economic benefit for non-farm sector
activities .
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STATE POLICIES The department has made a major
shift in its policy of subsistence level to
commercial oriented production programme. The
State Agriculture Policy 2009 has formulated
strategies to address Crop potentials by way of
increase production productivity, value
addition to agricultural products, setting up of
agro-centres and rural markets, micro-credit
facilities, development of human resources and
empowerment of farmers and promoting organic
culture for healthy living. Other policy issues
to be taken up are 1. Land holding Policy 2.
Intersectorial linkages information sharing
policy 3. Bottom up Institutional approach 4.
Credit support investment in rural sector
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PRACTICES

• Traditionally agrarian, over 75 of the
  Nagalands population live in rural areas and
  they depend on agriculture and livestock for
  their livelihood. Majority of the farmers
  practice shifting cultivation locally known as
  Jhum which accounts for about 76 of the net
  cropped area. This Indigenous system of farming
  meets the basic needs for food, fuel and housing
  materials to make subsistence living.
• 2. The second is WTRC (wet terrace rice
  cultivation) accounted for 24 of the net
  cropped area which is practised alongside in
  rainfed high slopes and foothills in the state.

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Physical Targets and Achievements of Food Grain
Production
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• Major problems that need to be tackled are
• Soil nutrition health
• Soil erosion
• Land degradation
• Water availability irrigation
• Lack of improved rainfed varieties
• Poor knowledge base
• Resource poor farmers
• Low farm productivity
• Poor infrastructure
• Lack of credit facilities linkages

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Thank You