Kohima: Shamator celebrated the 6th Millet Festival this past Thursday at the Public Ground. The event centered on the theme Grow Millets, Grow Wellness. Organizers brought together the Millet Sisters, SEWA Shamator District, North East Network, and the Millet Network of India. They worked alongside the local Departments of Agriculture and Social Welfare to pull it off.
Y Vikheho Swu, president of the NPF Central Farmers Wing and managing director of Okusa Toyota, opened the event. He toured stalls filled with local crafts and crops. India leads the world in millet production. Nagaland stands to gain much from expanding these fields. Swu told the crowd, "India is the world's largest millet producer and said Nagaland has significant potential to expand millet cultivation, benefiting both farmers' incomes and public health."
Modern tech meets tradition. Swu wants farmers to adopt new methods while keeping old jhum practices alive. He also pushed for the state’s new Agriculture Policy to support young farmers. He praised Shamator for its recent growth as Nagaland's 16th district and shared greetings from Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The festival took a hard look at food security. Tsusola, convenor of the Millet Sisters, warned of a changing climate. District Agriculture Officer L Kivika Chophy noted that millet was once a staple before rice took over. Today, local productivity beats the national average of 15 to 16 quintals per hectare. The department is backing this growth through the National Food Security Scheme.
Wekoweu Tsuha of SEWA Bharat called for more women to lead in the fields. During the awards, K Ester of the Yimkhiung Women Organisation gave the top producer prize to Yinsola Yimkhiung. Anong Lucy of Leangkongru Village shared personal stories of community farming. The day wrapped up with cooking contests and cultural shows to honor regional heritage.
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