International BusinessRio writes letter to PM on drought-like situation in Nagaland
After declaring a drought-like situation in Nagaland which affected cultivation of paddy and horticultural crops, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has sent a letter to the Prime Minister seeking the Centre"s assistance to mitigate the situation in the state.
Informing Manmohan Singh about the prevailing agricultural situation due to scanty rainfalls and delayed monsoon, Rio said the state government would soon submit a detailed report to the Centre on the situation and the states need to tackle over the crisis, official sources said here today.
Meanwhile, officials here pointed out that unlike in plain areas, the farming activities in Nagaland depend both on both pre-monsoon and monsoon rains because Naga farmers practice Jhum, WTRC (wet terrace rice cultivation) and normal wet paddy cultivation and the agricultural cycle actually begins from March itself.
In certain pockets of border districts, the villagers depend more on millets, maize, native beans and vegetables than paddy for their livelihood, and this year coupled with scanty rainfall, the farmers" problem was further aggravated by increase in rodent population and unknown pest infestations, the officials said.