The field office of the Spices Board, Kohima, under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, organized a Quality Improvement Training Programme on Chilli (Naga Mircha, a GI‑tagged spice) at Viphoma village in Chiephobozou Sub‑Division, Kohima on November 26.

The technical sessions covered plantation establishment and diseases and pest management of Naga Mircha. These were delivered by David Ng, Officer‑in‑Charge, Spices Board, Kohima. He addressed several queries from farmers concerning disease management, notably leaf curling, bacterial wilt, and anthracnose, and provided recommendations for organic biological control agents.

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Ariba Anar, State Coordinator of NERAMAC a CPSE of the Ministry of Development of North‑Eastern Region (MDoNER) spoke on post harvest management aspects including drying, grading, packaging, and marketing of Naga Mircha.

Discussions further explored market avenues and possibilities for area expansion of the spice.

A total of 43 progressive farmers from Viphoma village attended the training, benefiting from the deliberations on enhancing quality and market reach of Naga Mircha.