Longmatra farmers now sell groundnuts at Rs 500 a tin in the village
In Longmatra village under Kiphire district, groundnuts are more than just a seasonal crop – they are one of the major sources of livelihood for almost every family.
“Almost every household in the village grows groundnuts and produces about 10–30 tins each,” said 34-year-old farmer Likhala Keor, who is currently showcasing her produce at the ongoing Saras Fair in Dimapur. This year, she cultivated around 20–30 tins, all of which were sold.
A ‘tin’ here refers to a 15-liter container, usually a mustard oil tin, which has become a common unit of measurement for quantity among farmers across Nagaland.
The crop is sown in April and May and harvested by August. Some families also make groundnut powder for sale. Grown without chemicals, the nuts are healthy, hand-cleaned, sun-dried, and graded before reaching buyers. “Some are dirty, so we wash them and sun-dry ourselves. We then categorize them into different categories on the basis of quality. We select the best ones for the sale,” Keor said, calling groundnuts one of the “fastest selling products” at the fair this year.
Earlier, Longmatra farmers struggled without market linkages. “We didn’t know much about business or where to sell until the NSRLM (Nagaland State Rural Livelihood Mission) helped us,” Keor recalled.
Farmers, today, are selling groundnuts at Rs 500 per tin if buyers visit the village directly. When transported outside, prices rise depending on costs. “The transportation, usually done through Sumo, often charges Rs 500 per sack and hence the cost could go up to Rs 1,000,” she explained. One sack could accommodate around 2-3 tins, she said.
While demand is steady, she admitted that many farmers still face difficulties. “There are still some who cannot get the right buyers or don’t know much about the links and connections. They end up consuming it themselves, and some often get spoiled,” she said.
Apart from groundnuts, Longmatra is also rich in fruits such as mango, dragon fruit, lime, grapes, pomelo, tamarind, and guava.
“This year we sold the mangoes at Rs 100 per tin and dragon fruit at Rs 300 per tin,” Keor shared.
Keor also runs a small business with what locals call “salt water” – a natural spring that has flowed through paddy fields in the village for more than a century. “The water is known to have medicinal value and is also used in cooking,” she said.
For Keor, farming is more than just work – it is her passion. “After my graduation, I was always interested in farming so I started getting involved with it,” she added.
She also noted that groundnut farming is not very difficult, but farmers often take the help of laborers.
Keor further observed that with better infrastructure, processing units, machinery, and storage facilities, their chemical-free produce could find wider markets and fetch better value.
