There is no doubt that the demand for fresh farm produce is high in the farmers market and the consumers are ready to pay any amount for the agricultural produce across Nagaland. These options sound lucrative, but at the same time pose a barrier for many farmers residing at Peren District in Nagaland. After all, selling the produce at the farmers market involves time-consuming logistic and administrative tasks that is difficult or expensive for the farmers to undertake. Traditionally, farmers used to practice subsistence agriculture and cultivate very less as per their requirement, so they never had surplus to sell. FARM Northeast programme entered Peren District and made it possible for small farmers to aggregate their produce and sell in the farmers market.

Peren is one of the districts in Nagaland with a population of 94,954 mostly of Zeliangrong and Kuki tribes. Approximately 80% of the people here rely on farming for their livelihood. FARM Northeast programme was initiated in 9 villages of Peren district in the year 2013 with the support of the implementing partner Development Association of Nagaland (DAN). The organization has successfully formed 9 farmers club in the area and capacitated the farmers in organic farming and sustainable agriculture practices like SRI, Mixed Cropping, indigenous seed conservation, Kitchen Garden, Vermi-Compost, Organic Pest Control, etc.

“I used to collect wild eatables leaves from the jungle and sell in the weekly markets which fetch me maximum Rs 200/-. But in the year 2017 when I come to know about FARM Northeast program, I started attending the meetings and pieces of training, from there I started practicing kitchen garden and organic manure. Now I cultivate varieties of vegetables in my kitchen garden every season and earn up to Rs 5000 /- in a month”, shares Adin, a progressive farmer from New Jalukie.

With the support of the FARM team, the farmers have gradually overcome the challenge of marketing. They started collectivizing for marketing and transport and started producing as per market demand to enhance their economic status. At present after a span of 6 years through FARM I & II intervention supported by Caritas India, the farmers are cultivating in groups and producing in larger quantity. The 9 farmers club formed under DAN are actively functioning and more than 8 groups are initiating for common cultivation on agricultural and livestock for their additional income generation, apart from their usual cultivation and are selling in the local market thrice in a week at different location of Peren district. Earlier there were less than 100 farmers who used to market their products but now more than 300 farmers are selling their products in the market. The source of their income has gone up from Rs. 300/- to Rs. 500/- a day and Rs. 2000/- to 4000/- a month.

Mrs. Kigum, President of Pata women group at Jalukie B village shares that she had enough land for cultivation but was not interested in cultivation due to time constraint. In the year 2018 when she attended DAN training on SRI method and organic pest control, she got interested and with like-minded mothers formed a group. Now they are collectively cultivating varieties of vegetables, weave and practice food processing of making the pickle, organic juice, etc. sell in the weekly market on a rotation basis. They are not getting an additional income of Rs 6000/- per month from this initiative.

On 26 June 2019 DAN under the program organized a Kisan Mela at Dimapur supermarket which is a commercial hub of the State. Dimapur is 92 kms away from Peren district. The objective is to provide a platform to the farmers and promote their organic products to the urban areas like Dimapur. More than 50 farmers participated and 90% of their products were sold out. Now, the farmers plan to come back to Dimapur for marketing their products and further plans to influence their fellow farmers.

While marketing happens to be a challenge in most of the North Eastern states, this initiative is a beginning and an inspiration for people in the other remote corners of the region. It is a true reflection of the peoples’ collective action and Caritas India along with her partners have shown the way for the people to walk on…