The Tribal Resilience Initiative for Building Environmentally Sustainable Livelihoods (TRIBES) project titled “Enhancing Farm Productivity through Integrated Fishery and Promoting Aromatic and Medicinal Plants for Sustainable Livelihood in Tuli, Mokokchung” has been inaugurated at Kangtsung Village. The project is supported by NABARD and implemented by the Community Educational Centre Society (CECS).
The medicinal and aromatic plants component of the project is the first initiative of its kind in Nagaland to receive NABARD funding. The intervention aims to provide sustainable and long-term income opportunities for rural farming households through scientific cultivation methods, value addition, and organised marketing systems.
Addressing the programme, O. P. Mounglang, Deputy General Manager of NABARD Regional Office, Dimapur, said that although NABARD cannot directly reach every village, it works in partnership with committed non-governmental organisations to extend its support to remote rural areas. He appreciated CECS for implementing the project at Kangtsung Village.
Mounglang informed that a Farmers Producer Organisation will be formed to encourage collective marketing and ensure better returns for farmers. He added that the District Development Manager would closely monitor the project and that training and capacity-building programmes would be provided to support effective implementation.
Encouraging farmers to actively participate, he urged them to focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term gains. A beneficiary, speaking on behalf of the villagers, expressed gratitude to NABARD and CECS and assured community support to make the initiative successful.