Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: The Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA) launched a charity sales drive in Kohima on July 16 to rescue cabbage farmers from the Razeba Range in Phek District. Manipur market disruptions left these farmers without buyers for their harvest. The first phase of the drive moved 30,000 kgs of cabbage. The organization aims to sell 100,000 kgs total to prevent massive crop spoilage.
Community leaders estimate that 300 to 400 metric tonnes of cabbage currently face rot. CEO Neichute Doulo expects the effort to curb 25 to 30 percent of these potential losses. Nagaland Minister for Horticulture and Women Resource Development Salhoutuonuo Kruse officially launched the initiative at Old NST. She was joined by Commissioner and Secretary Akumla Chuba, various department officials, and Pastor Kedo Peseyie of City Church.
Kruse pushed the public to support local growers during the crisis. "We must support and respect our local farmers who have worked hard to grow them despite harsh and unfavourable weather conditions," she stated. Doulo highlighted that the state must transition from subsistence to commercial farming to thrive. He lauded a new government plan to build warehouses with mini solar cold storage and agri kiosks along NH 29.
The group’s ties to Phek District farmers date back to 2003. Early efforts included providing loans and battling monopolies that favored only a few traders. A 2006 intervention by the Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce, led by Bendangnukshi Longkumer, once helped scale production by blocking cabbage imports from Assam. tEA plans to maintain this support through regional business meetings and new market networks.
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