A team of officials led by the Director, Horticulture, Dr. R. Elithung Lotha visited Zunheboto on 5th May 2020, as part of their state wide tour creating awareness to the farmers on the importance of continuing to grow crops at this time of global crisis, COVID-19, with the theme ‘GROW MORE! PRODUCE MORE! EARN MORE!’.
Addressing the gathering which included the heads of offices, NGOs, public leaders and farmers, the Director said that, there are presently 135 million people facing hunger globally which could be pushed to additional 130 million more, to the brink of starvation by the end of year 2020 because of COVID-19. He added that COVID-19 is affecting cultivation and food supply chain in our state as well as the nation which would threat our food security ahead. He encouraged the gathering especially the farmers to continue farming to make our state self sufficient in horticultural crops for nutritional and economic benefits but with strict adherence to the government's guidelines of personal hygiene, social distancing like restricting ourselves from physical contact with other co-workers in the field, restricting ourselves from activities which were usually carried out in clusters and to change to phase manner to avoid crowding, adaption of staggering lunch/tea breaks, compulsory usage of face masks etc. Sanitisations like importance of washing hands well before lunch /tea breaks, after using toilets, putting on gloves during contact with farm animals, cultivating habits of disinfectant spraying at regular intervals around farming areas, store rooms, adequate washing points at toilets, temporary lunch shelters, equipment rooms etc. He also expressed his concern about the consequences if the farmer decides to stop farming crops and said that it could lead to deep crisis in the coming days. He added that, the purpose of the tour was also to take stalk of the farmer's distress across the state.
He stated that the state is blessed with natural resources. Our land is fertile with abundant rain and favourable climate, thus, suitable for farming any types of crops and therefore should be encouraged to grow more to contribute towards the combat against the global pandemic, he said.
During interaction NGOs, public leaders and farmers thanked the department for their concern for the farmers of the state. The programme was chaired by DHO Zunheboto, I. Chuba Toshi.
(DPRO Zunheboto)
