TISSUE CULTURE LABORATORY PROPOSED TO BE INSTALLED AT SARS
After the discussion held by the state officials led by APC and mission director, FOCUS-Nagaland, Y. Kikheto Sema with the International Potato Center (CIP) at Pusa, New Delhi regarding the proposal for low-cost potato seed production system for improved livelihoods for farmers of Nagaland, Asia regional director, CIP, Dr. Samarendu Mohanty based in Manila, Philippines, project coordinator for India, Philippines and Vietnam, Dr. Sampriti Baruah and senior consultant Dr. Mohinder Singh arrived Nagaland on October 28.
According to a DIPR report, on arrival, the team visited tissue culture laboratories and infrastructure facilities of agriculture and horticulture department at Agri Expo Dimapur.
Meanwhile on Friday, the CIP team convened a joint meeting with the APC & MD FOCUS-Nagaland and senior officers of agriculture and horticulture departments.
During the meeting, Kikheto Sema disclosed that there was a huge demand for potato seeds in the state both during kharif and rabi seasons.
He informed that most farmers of the state could not afford quality potato seeds from mainland India and thus bought the unsold potatoes from grocery shops which gave poor yield.
Kikheto said that state chief minister Neiphiu Rio and minister for agriculture G. Kaito Aye were keen on creating better avenues for farming community and more importantly bring new and innovative farming technologies to attract the educated youth towards agriculture.
This, he said prompted FOCUS-Nagaland to propose to International Fund for Agriculture Development of the United Nations (IFAD) to fund the project for potato seed production.
He informed that IFAD was willing to sponsor the project and once approved, the existing tissue culture laboratory at state horticulture nursery under the department of horticulture would be upgraded.
The main tissue culture laboratory is proposed to be installed within the existing infrastructure at the State Agricultural Research Station (SARS), Yisemyong under Mokokchung district for meeting the requirements for the rest of the state with temperate and cold climate of mid and hilly areas.
Dr. Mohanty appreciated the initiatives taken by the state government and enlightened that through the project, CIP would introduce its novel low cost technology (apical rooted cutting) with the objective to develop the potato seed value chain in the state to improve productivity and to supply high quality potato seeds to farmers at an affordable price which can also be exported to the neighboring states.
He informed that it would also work towards introduction of new short duration, early bulking, climate resilient and disease resistant potato varieties responding to consumer and market demands for table and processing purposes.
He said that Nagaland had a favourable agro-climatic condition to have at least two growing seasons per year which presented untapped opportunity to transform Nagaland into a seed production hub for supply of quality potato seed to other states.
Later in the afternoon the CIP team proceeded for SARS, Yisemyong.