Land Resources department, Wokha, Nagaland, held a flag-off programme for dispatch of Natural Rubber Sheets from Nagaland at Merapani, (Marachu Yan) Wokha district, on 16th August 2021 with Additional Deputy Commissioner Bhandari, Tiameren  Chang, NCS as the special guest.

Flagging off the programme, Chang lauded the effort made by the Land Resources department, wokha district for bringing recognition to Nagaland as a large scale, high quality natural rubber producing state. 

He also said that besides bringing economic empowerment and development to the rubber growers community, the state's revenue would also benefit if the government sets up a streamlined mechanism to check and regulate the outflow of products.

In the programme, District Project Officer, Wokha,Tepunol Yore, said that the department had supported rubber growers under Pradhan  MantriKrishiSinchayeeyojana Watershed Component (PMKSY-WDC) , IWMP and NABARD funded RIDF tranches, achieving an area of 6,806 Ha. and covering 4,135 households in wokha district till 2020.

DPO highlighted that plantations have covered 123 recognized villages whereabout 1,557 Ha are being tapped with about 1,010 households directly engaged in rubber-based activities. Wokha District alone produced about 3,154.20 MT of rubber sheets during the year 2020 generating an income of approximately 37.85 crores, he added.

He also observed that there is increase in reverse migration of people from urban to rural areas to engage in rubber-based economic activities even as the department has a road-map vision plan for the years ahead for increased product capacity to sell outside the state.

After the flagging off programme, a Truck load with 65 MT of rubber sheets took off for Aarush Reliable Holdings, Delhi.

(APRO Bhandari)