The recent revision of green chilli prices in MokokchungAMP has quietly exposed a larger and more uncomfortable question about our agricultural reality. Mokokchung, like much of Nagaland, is repeatedly described as an agrarian society. Yet a basic vegetable like green chilli has to be sourced from Assam, with local prices rising or falling based on markets outside the state. This contradiction deserves serious reflection.
If farming remains the backbone of rural life, why is there no steady local supply of green chilli in Mokokchung at this time of year? Farmers say sowing has only just begun and harvest will come later in the summer. That explanation raises a parallel question. How then is green chilli readily available in Assam right now? Are farmers there using protected cultivation, hybrid varieties, or off season farming techniques that our farmers lack access to?
This is where our government departments responsible for horticulture, agriculture extension, and crop planning owe the public an explanation. If scientific methods exist that allow year round or early season production, why are they not being promoted here? If climatic or soil factors differ, has any research been shared transparently with farmers?
Dependence on external markets for essential produce weakens food security and exposes consumers to price shocks. The green chilli issue may appear small, but it points to deeper gaps in planning, technology transfer, and accountability. It is time someone explained this ‘mystery’ clearly, with facts rather than assumptions.