Sunflower cultivation has shown encouraging results for the first time on a comparatively large scale under the initiative of AgriNova Organic Farmers, Chungtor Village under Longkhim Town in Tuensang district.
The initiative, coordinated by Dr Bongliba Sangtam, currently involves around 30 households, with each household cultivating a minimum of one acre of sunflower.
According to Ariba Anar, State Coordinator (Nagaland), millets have been planted around the sunflower fields, while marigold flowers have been grown along the field borders as a natural method to help deter birds and pests.
The initiative marks a shift from earlier maize cultivation practices in the area towards oilseed-based farming as a sustainable cash crop alternative.
The oilseed initiative has been supported by the Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR), Hyderabad, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region (Nagaland Centre, Jharnapani), KVK, NEDFi, NE-RACE (now under NERAMAC, Ministry of DoNER), and the Agriculture Department.
According to organisers, field performance and crop condition have been “highly successful and encouraging,” noting that this is the first large-scale sunflower cultivation initiative in Eastern Nagaland.
“The positive results have generated strong interest and motivation among local farmers for future expansion of sunflower and other oilseed cultivation in the region,” organisers said.
Ariba also indicated that efforts are being explored to set up an oil extraction unit to enable local value addition and marketing of sunflower produce.
He added that buyers, particularly from southern India, have shown interest in the produce, citing Nagaland’s natural farming practices as a factor.
