T Ningtsemong, now 81, reminisces about being the person who introduced the first apples to Thanamir village in Nagaland’s Kiphire district during the 1970s. Speaking to a team from the Sunday Monitor of Meghalaya Monitor, Ningtsemong recounted his journey of introducing this unfamiliar fruit to his community and the subsequent flourishing of apple cultivation in the region.
As a young village guard, Ningtsemong encountered an army officer in Thanamir village in 1976. Little did he know that this encounter would change the trajectory of agriculture in his village. Following a training session at the 11th Durga Army Company outpost, Ningtsemong received his first apple from a soldier. Intrigued by this unfamiliar fruit, he learned that it hailed from the state of Kashmir in northern India. Armed with newfound knowledge and determination, Ningtsemongbrought home two more apples, which he shared with his family and carefully saved the seeds for planting.
In 1977, Ningtsemong planted the first apple seed, marking the beginning of a journey fraught with patience and dedication. It wasn’t until 1984 that the tree began to blossom, and the following year, it bore its first fruits. As word spread of Ningtsemong’s success, other villagers became intrigued and sought his guidance in planting their own apple trees.
According to Ningtsemong, a missionary named Tangit Ao helped him in procuring more seeds from the Horticulture Department.
Over the years, the Thanamir Village Council has also played a crucial role in promoting the fruit by encouraging every household to plant apple trees. It has been organizing the Apple Festival since 2010.
However, according to sources, the Thanamir Village Council held a meeting a few years back regarding the person who introduced apples to Thanamir village and unanimously decided that it was Yongphukhiung, who now lives in Khong, another village in Kiphire district and is reportedly the second GB there.