It has become almost a ritual in official reports and speeches to describe agriculture as the “primary occupation” of Nagaland. The phrase appears so frequently that it has acquired an air of unquestionable truth. Yet, beneath this assertion lies an uncomfortable contradiction: despite more than 70 percent of the population reportedly depending on agriculture, Nagaland continues to rely heavily on imported vegetables, fruits, grains, and even meat from neighboring states.
This paradox is not merely statistical. It reflects deep structural weaknesses that have turned agriculture into an occupation of survival rather than sustenance. Most farmers in Nagaland still practice subsistence cultivation, often on small, fragmented plots. Limited access to irrigation, poor transport connectivity, and minimal value addition leave them vulnerable to both price fluctuations and climatic uncertainty. The result is a farming system that feeds households, but not markets.
In towns across Nagaland, daily markets overflow with produce from Assam and beyond. From potatoes to tomatoes, and sometimes even local staples like chili and rice, the bulk of food consumed is not locally grown. The irony deepens when one considers that the state has fertile valleys, diverse agro-climatic zones, and a population deeply rooted in agrarian traditions. What it lacks is not potential, but planning and sustained policy direction.
To bridge this gap, the state needs to move beyond slogans and short-term schemes. Agriculture must be treated as an enterprise supported by scientific inputs, accessible credit, post-harvest infrastructure, and organized market linkages. Encouraging cluster-based farming, promoting cooperative marketing, and investing in transport and cold storage could transform rural farming from subsistence to surplus. Yet, if these policies have already been implemented, where are the results?
Nagaland cannot continue calling agriculture its primary occupation while depending on trucks from Assam for food. It is time to redefine what “agrarian” means by shifting from the rhetoric of cultivation to the reality of production, self-reliance, and market presence. Only then can Nagaland truly claim to be an agricultural state, not just in name but in nourishment.
