In a notable step toward promoting research, science, technology and innovation in agriculture, the Wokha District Administration on February 20, 2026 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Northeast Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), Shillong at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall in Wokha. NECTAR is an autonomous society, set up under Department of Science & Technology, Government of India with its headquarter at Shillong, Meghalaya.
Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar, IAS, highlighted the vast potential for agriculture based entrepreneurship in the district, noting that Wokha’s favourable agro climatic conditions support diverse crops and plantations. He observed that limited technological intervention has left much of the district’s potential untapped and stressed that integrating modern technology would transform the farming ecosystem. Referring to the success of the first Banana Festival, he underlined the importance of innovation driven growth.
Director General of NECTAR, Dr Arun Kumar Sarma, appreciated the district administration’s proactive approach and outlined NECTAR’s mission of disseminating technology for societal transformation, strengthening livelihoods and upskilling farmers. The MoU was formally signed by Deputy Commissioner Vineet Kumar and Dr Sarma.
A Community Seed Bank was virtually inaugurated at Baghty Village, aimed at preserving indigenous and improved seed varieties and ensuring access to quality seeds. Certificates under the PM DevINE project were also distributed to organic growers.
The district administration has consistently prioritised agriculture centric development through partnerships with national research institutions, including ICAR National Research Centre for Banana, IBSD Imphal and CSIR North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST). These collaborations focus on scientific farming, technological integration, medicinal crop cultivation and sustainable market linkages.
Declared the “land of plenty” by the Nagaland government, Wokha continues to set an example through research driven and innovation focused agricultural initiatives.