(Second from right) Parliamentary Secretary for horticulture & cooperation, R Khing, with horticulture officials and farmers, inspects the site of the Sprinkle Irrigation System to be installed, at Molvom village Pineapple Project site, on Friday, February 13. (Morung Photo)
Dimapur, Feb 15 : Parliamentary Secretary for horticulture and cooperation, R Khing, along with the Director of horticulture, the DHO of Dimapur, Peren and Zunheboto, and other staff of the department, today visited the largest pineapple farm site of India, the Molvom village Pineapple Project, in Medziphema sub-division of Dimapur district.
Sponsored by the department of Horticulture, the Project covers an area of around 800 hectares at Molvom village.
According to Khing, the real purpose of the visit was to inspect the site to install the ‘Sprinkle Irrigation System’ so as to help the growers with proper water facility during the dry season.
He maintained that this system would boost the growth of pineapple and enhance the production, especially during the dry season in the State. He also informed that the work to install Sprinkle Irrigation System would start immediately.
Reacting to the demands of the pineapple farmers, the Parliamentary Secretary assured that the registration of the society would be done as soon as possible since it was a genuine society working for the welfare of the pineapple growers. He continued that even co-operative banks were looking for such genuine societies.
Referring to the construction of Horti-link road and bridge which was in progress, Khing said the completion of the roads and bridge would solve the problem of transportation for the growers of the village.
He also made it clear that the department would concentrate more on maintenance of the farms and also encourage the growers to extend their farming.
However, Khing expressed hope that the Chief Minister would give more importance to Horticulture and continued that the Centre has to support the development activities of the State.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that his first official visit to the pineapple farms was satisfactory. Also speaking on the occasion, Rongsentemjen, Director of horticulture, suggested that growers avoid the sale of pineapples to the ‘middleman.’
He also advised them to sell the fruits to the three factories in Dimapur, although, he admitted, the rate may be less. Making it clear that fencing was not in the scheme of the department, the Director said that the department would not provide the same.
Enunciating on pineapple farming, Letthang Misao, chairman of the PGSM, said that 15,000 suckers had been planted in 1 hectare of land, and within 18 months they started to produce pineapples. He informed that a grower can earn around Rs.50,000 including pineapple produce of both Summer and Winter seasons, and added that growers sell the pineapples at wholesale prices ranging from Rs.3 to Rs.5 per piece.
According to the Horticulture officials, Molvom and Bungsang villages are the best for pineapple farming in the state, and the pineapples of these two villages are taken to Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Manipur and West Bengal.
Accompanying the Parliamentary Secretary and the Director were DHOs Eyongol Natso, Dimapur, N Amos Ao, Peren, and J K Chanda, Zunheboto.
Memos to Parliamentary Secy
Taking the opportunity, the pineapple growers of Molvom village submitted two memorandums to R Khing, Parliamentary Secretary for horticulture and cooperation, during his visit to the village.
One of the memos stated: “Chairman and secretary of the Pineapple Growers of Molvom village have formed a society in the name and style of ‘Pineapple Growers’ Society, Molvom’ (PGSM) and adopted bylaws to govern and seen the society for the benefit of members in particular and the villagers in general.”
In this regard, the memo “requested the Parliamentary Secretary to ‘kindly’ advice the Registrar of Cooperation Society to enable us to conduct and other activities properly.”
The other memo focused on the extension of scheme and material help. It stated that “the villagers as well as the members of PGSM want to extend the existing farms and to open a new farm during 2009-10 seasons.”
The memo continued: “There are existing farms in the area where extension and opening of new farm for plantation is contemplated, are yet to be linked to present link road construction.” There is also a need of fence for the plantation area and thus a barbed wire is also a must, the memo added.
Both the memos were signed by chairman Letthang Misao, and Sehhao, secretary of the PGSM.
Morung Express News
Dimapur, Feb 15 : Parliamentary Secretary for horticulture and cooperation, R Khing, along with the Director of horticulture, the DHO of Dimapur, Peren and Zunheboto, and other staff of the department, today visited the largest pineapple farm site of India, the Molvom village Pineapple Project, in Medziphema sub-division of Dimapur district.
Sponsored by the department of Horticulture, the Project covers an area of around 800 hectares at Molvom village.
According to Khing, the real purpose of the visit was to inspect the site to install the ‘Sprinkle Irrigation System’ so as to help the growers with proper water facility during the dry season.
He maintained that this system would boost the growth of pineapple and enhance the production, especially during the dry season in the State. He also informed that the work to install Sprinkle Irrigation System would start immediately.
Reacting to the demands of the pineapple farmers, the Parliamentary Secretary assured that the registration of the society would be done as soon as possible since it was a genuine society working for the welfare of the pineapple growers. He continued that even co-operative banks were looking for such genuine societies.
Referring to the construction of Horti-link road and bridge which was in progress, Khing said the completion of the roads and bridge would solve the problem of transportation for the growers of the village.
He also made it clear that the department would concentrate more on maintenance of the farms and also encourage the growers to extend their farming.
However, Khing expressed hope that the Chief Minister would give more importance to Horticulture and continued that the Centre has to support the development activities of the State.
The Parliamentary Secretary said that his first official visit to the pineapple farms was satisfactory. Also speaking on the occasion, Rongsentemjen, Director of horticulture, suggested that growers avoid the sale of pineapples to the ‘middleman.’
He also advised them to sell the fruits to the three factories in Dimapur, although, he admitted, the rate may be less. Making it clear that fencing was not in the scheme of the department, the Director said that the department would not provide the same.
Enunciating on pineapple farming, Letthang Misao, chairman of the PGSM, said that 15,000 suckers had been planted in 1 hectare of land, and within 18 months they started to produce pineapples. He informed that a grower can earn around Rs.50,000 including pineapple produce of both Summer and Winter seasons, and added that growers sell the pineapples at wholesale prices ranging from Rs.3 to Rs.5 per piece.
According to the Horticulture officials, Molvom and Bungsang villages are the best for pineapple farming in the state, and the pineapples of these two villages are taken to Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Manipur and West Bengal.
Accompanying the Parliamentary Secretary and the Director were DHOs Eyongol Natso, Dimapur, N Amos Ao, Peren, and J K Chanda, Zunheboto.
Memos to Parliamentary Secy
Taking the opportunity, the pineapple growers of Molvom village submitted two memorandums to R Khing, Parliamentary Secretary for horticulture and cooperation, during his visit to the village.
One of the memos stated: “Chairman and secretary of the Pineapple Growers of Molvom village have formed a society in the name and style of ‘Pineapple Growers’ Society, Molvom’ (PGSM) and adopted bylaws to govern and seen the society for the benefit of members in particular and the villagers in general.”
In this regard, the memo “requested the Parliamentary Secretary to ‘kindly’ advice the Registrar of Cooperation Society to enable us to conduct and other activities properly.”
The other memo focused on the extension of scheme and material help. It stated that “the villagers as well as the members of PGSM want to extend the existing farms and to open a new farm during 2009-10 seasons.”
The memo continued: “There are existing farms in the area where extension and opening of new farm for plantation is contemplated, are yet to be linked to present link road construction.” There is also a need of fence for the plantation area and thus a barbed wire is also a must, the memo added.
Both the memos were signed by chairman Letthang Misao, and Sehhao, secretary of the PGSM.
Morung Express News