AgrinovA Oorganic Farmers, Chungtor Village, Longkhim, recently launched a sunflower oilseed farming project in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Medziphema, Nagaland, and the Indian Institute of Oil Research (IIOR), Hyderabad.

The project, aimed at improving the livelihood of rural communities in the region through sustainable oilseed cultivation and value addition, was inaugurated with a training and field demonstration on sunflower oilseed cultivation.

Dr Bongliba Sangtam, Coordinator of AgrinovA Oorganic Farmers, led the initiative and expressed gratitude to the supporting organizations and individuals, including Dr H Kalita, Joint Director, ICAR-Medziphema,

Dr Harendra Verma, Scientist, ICAR-Medziphema, Prof Mathur, Director, IIOR, Hyderabad, and Dr Qureshi, Principal Scientist, IIOR, for their guidance and support.

During the session, Dr Verma emphasized the importance of sunflower oilseed farming and multicropping to enhance rural income.

He advised farmers to cultivate sunflower oilseeds immediately after rice harvest, using row-wise patterns with about one-foot spacing between rows for better yield and easier maintenance.

Dr Verma also recommended using well-decomposed pig or cow manure as an organic fertilizer to enrich the soil and support healthy sunflower crop growth.

Dr H Kalita, Joint Director of ICAR Medziphema, highlighted the importance of cultivating sunflowers between November and March, avoiding the monsoon period for optimal results.

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He encouraged farmers to work with sincerity and assured them of ICAR’s continued support.

Dr Sangtam stated that the project aims to empower community-based farming systems through knowledge, collaboration, and innovation, introducing a new crop to improve the livelihood of rural communities. The initiative is expected to promote cash crop farming, improve land utilization, and increase rural income.

The launch event was marked by hands-on guidance provided to farmers, and the distribution of sunflower oilseeds.

The project is expected to pave the way for future oilseed production and market linkages, with Ariba Anar, State Coordinator, NERAMAC (North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited), Ministry of DoNER, contributing to facilitating market linkages for future oilseed production.