The two-day Taro Festival culmination programme was held at Pongo Village, Longleng, on 6 December 2025 with the District Agricultural Officer, Longleng, Maongsangla, as the special guest.
Congratulating the organising committee and the people of Pongo Village, the special guest said that the first-of-its-kind festival in Longleng District was a success. She stated that, starting from this day, the name of taro and its cultivation is now placed on the map. She encouraged farmers to increase taro productivity and expand its cultivation for higher output. She also urged educated unemployed youth to initiate marketing linkages to supply produce to different parts of the state and beyond. She added that value addition can be developed from taro-based products. Noting that taro is a climate-resilient crop well suited to the region, she said it holds vast potential for increased production and income generation for farmers. In conclusion, she informed the gathering that Pongo Village will serve as a centre where the Agriculture and allied departments will collaborate to support farmers’ activities in the district.
The programme concluded with a technical session that imparted knowledge on scientific farming, led by a senior scientist from KVK ICAR, Longleng.
RECAP | Nagaland’s first Taro Festival opens in Pongo
The festival aimed to celebrate and preserve Pongo Village’s rich taro heritage while promoting sustainable agriculture, value addition and market linkages for farmers. It sought to enhance farmer livelihoods and create awareness about the cultural, nutritional and economic importance of taro. It also encouraged youth to participate in agricultural entrepreneurship and positioned Pongo Doong (taro) as a unique regional brand at the state and national levels.
Pongo Village, located just 8 kilometres from Longleng District Headquarters, is widely known for producing some of the finest quality taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Nagaland. Popularly referred to as “Pongo Doong,” a pride of Pongo Village, this distinctive variety is highly sought after not only within Longleng but also in neighbouring districts.
Pongo Doong is celebrated for its unique flavour, rich texture and notable shelf life, qualities attributed to the village’s favourable soil composition and climatic conditions. Since time immemorial, taro has remained an integral part of Phom cuisine and food culture, symbolising tradition, sustenance and heritage.
Earlier, Village Council Chairman of Hongnyu Village, Y. L. Ongba, delivered the welcome address, followed by an invocation by Associate Pastor of Pongo Baptist Church, Metlu. The programme was chaired by T. Amen and Nanglang Y. Phom.
