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Celebrating the organic products of Nagaland, Jakhama village in Kohima district held the first-ever Nagaland Potato Festival at Jakhama ground on Friday. The festival aims to promote organic potato cultivation in the state as well as to produce local entrepreneurs.
Around 73 stalls were set up by vendors displaying varieties of potatoes, demonstrations on potato plantations, and organic potatoes were on sale at reasonable prices. Speaking as the chief guest, Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, Kevithuto Sophe acknowledged the role of organisers in the first-ever Nagaland Potato Festival at Jakhama. "This kind of exposure will open many eyes of the area and take the maximum benefit of getting engaged in agro-based activities," Sophe said. Stating that every household grows potatoes, Sophe urged the people of the Southern Anngami to preserve the environment and encourage the plantations of indigenous trees in its area. Kevithuto also said that it was the Nepalese who first brought the potatoes in part of the Jakhama Village. Sophe challenged the people to go back to their roots, to venture into entrepreneurship as most of the educated unemployed opt for white collared jobs. "As educated people, one had to explore the feasibility and possibilities of what agro-based activities can sustain our living," Sophe said. Event organizer, Teputo Richa said that the Potato Festival of Nagaland is a combined initiative of like-minded individuals who are interested in promoting organic farming. Stating that the Southern Angami villages are known for the cultivation of organic potatoes, Richa said, "At the time of harvest, the potatoes do not reach the market but are sold off in the field itself at the time of harvest, people come and buy the potatoes from the field itself." Richa also said that the purpose of organising the festival was to promote the farmers, and when we promote the products we promote the market. "We are promoting the economy and as a whole, the village is being promoted", Richa added. Earlier, an introduction to Scientific Methods of Potato Cultivation was also presented by N Sailo, Senior Scientist and Head Incharge of the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) Regional Station (RS) in Shillong, Meghalaya. (ANI)
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