Renowned rural tourism destination in Mokokchung, Longkhum village, is not only famous for its natural rock formations, rhododendrons and cherry blossom trees but also for growing tomatoes. The village first began commercial cultivation of tomatoes reportedly in the year 2003 and the villagers have been engaged in producing the vegetable fruit since then.
According to the farmers, the harvest season has already started and the village is expected to produce about 100 metric tons this year. It has also been made known that Longkhum’s tomatoes are transported to places like Kohima, Dimapur and others during the peak season.
In fact, Mokokchung is too small a market to absorb all of the tomatoes produced in Longkhum. Naturally, they are transported to other places which is not only beneficial for the farmers but also promotes trade and commerce.
With no genuine post-harvest value addition system in place, the only option left for the farmer producers is to sell the produce as fresh vegetables. And we know that the tomato does not have a very long shelf life. Due to lack of factors beyond their control, the farmers have no option but to sell the fresh tomatoes at the best price they can and as soon as they can.
It is not known if any scientific survey has been conducted or not but according to an independent research by a scholar, the resource of which is available online, the average net earnings of a tomato farmer in Longkhum per acre is Rs. 2,21,650 for the ‘namdari’ variety and Rs.1,81,450 for the ‘nayak’ variety. According to a farmer, the village is expected to harvest at least a 1000 metric tons of tomato this year. Considering the price of tomato to be Rs.40 per kilo, the village is positioned to contribute about Rs.40 lakhs to the local economy.
The direct benefits go to the farmers but the wealth thus created in the economy benefits everyone. And that is how economies develop. This is a clear indication that tomato farming is a viable option for employment and income generation, albeit being seasonal. On a side note, experimenting with off season cultivation of tomatoes is worth pondering upon. If Aliba village can produce off season cucumbers, there is a high probability that Longkhum can also produce off season tomatoes.
Nonetheless, despite the opportunities, there are also some constraints. The terrain being hilly, farm mechanization for increasing agricultural productivity is an insurmountable challenge. Moreover, proper road connectivity, both to the farm and to the market, is another issue that constraints Naga farmers.
Lack of post-harvest management avenues and value addition technologies are another concern. Coupled with this is the competition posed by farmers from other states. If we take all these factors into consideration, tomato farmers of Longkhum deserve serious recognition and promotion – both from the community and the government.
Here, it is believed that the government is doing what it ought to do to support the farmers but the community must also participate in promoting our farmers.