Chiechama’s Lida Peli revives traditional farming practices in Kohima

The Lida Peli, one of the oldest surviving peer groups of Chiechama Village, organized a traditional rice sowing program at Chiethu, Kohima, on 5th April 2025. The event was a vibrant display of culture, community, and agricultural heritage.

Participants from the village — both young and old — gathered for the occasion, engaging in traditional practices that included sowing rice, singing cultural songs, feasting, and celebrating together upon returning from the fields. The program aimed to impart traditional knowledge and values to the younger generation while also fostering a spirit of cultural preservation.

Keduo Rüpreo, an elder of the village, shared insights into the village’s traditional farming methods. “In our practice, trees and shrubs in the fields are cleared in December, the land is burnt in February, and seeds are sown in March and April,” he explained. Among the crops cultivated in Chiechama are Job’s Tears, rice, sorghum, maize, chili, cucumber, white pumpkin, yam, tomato, beans, sweet potato, and more.

Currently, approximately 250 individuals and families are engaged in cultivation along the Chiethu stretch. Officials from the Agriculture Department were also present and witnessed the event.

The Lida Peli group plans to continue this cultural initiative during the harvest season later this year.

MT