On December 9, 2025, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kohima executed a model intervention, distributing 5,000 kilograms of certified potato seeds of the ‘Kufri Jyoti’ variety to farmers in the Kohima and Tseminyu districts. This was not an isolated handout but a core component of a targeted program under the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute’s (IARI) North East Hills (NEH) programme, designed to address the unique challenges of hill agriculture. The beneficiaries—Farmers’ Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and local farmers’ clubs, with special emphasis on women farmers—represent the collaborative structures essential for scaling impact. The initiative’s genius lay in its integration: the physical input of certified seeds was coupled with hands-on training for 46 participants on seed treatment, sowing, crop management, and harvest techniques, led by experts like plant breeding specialist Dr. Martina Shitri.
This dual approach addresses two critical gaps in regions like Nagaland. First, access to quality seeds remains a primary constraint. The distribution of a high-yielding, reliable variety like Kufri Jyoti directly tackles low productivity. Second, as emphasized by KVK Kohima head Dr. Ruokuovilie Mezhatsu, climate unpredictability makes traditional knowledge insufficient alone. Training in scientific methods builds essential climate resilience. Concurrently, the first-ever Taro Festival in Longleng, led by ICAR-KVK Longleng, mirrored this model for another staple crop, focusing on value addition and improved cultivation. These programs align with broader national data: according to the 2023-24 Annual Report of the Indian Ministry of Agriculture, the overall seed replacement rate in vegetables and potatoes remains a focus area, and initiatives that boost this rate in remote regions are crucial for food security and income. Furthermore, supporting women farmers, who constitute over 60% of the agricultural workforce in many Northeast states but have lower input access, is recognized as a high-impact strategy for household nutritional and economic upliftment.
The KVK Kohima initiative is a textbook example of effective, grassroots agricultural extension. It demonstrates that sustainable improvement requires a package: genetically superior seeds must be delivered with the knowledge to cultivate them successfully under evolving climatic conditions. By focusing on collective community structures like FPOs and SHGs, the program ensures broader reach and creates platforms for shared learning and marketing. For farmers and farm owners everywhere, the lesson is the non-negotiable value of certified planting material and continuous skill upgrading. For agronomists, engineers, and scientists, it underscores the importance of context-specific, participatory dissemination that respects traditional systems while introducing adaptive science. Ultimately, such integrated efforts do more than promise a better harvest; they plant the seeds of long-term economic stability, self-reliance, and resilience for farming communities on the front lines of climate change.
