Revive cotton production in Nagaland, CM asks farmers

Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang on Tuesday asked the farmers to revive the production of traditional cotton in the state.

"In the past, our people used to grow cotton along with paddy as the climate in many parts of Nagaland is suitable for growing cotton," Zeliang said at the inauguration of the first Apparel and Garment Making Centre here.

"Our people produced cotton and made clothes locally, but today this practice is disappearing in our present society. I feel that the local population should also revive the production of our traditional cotton," he said.

The Apparel and Garment Making Centre at the District Industries Centre complex was inaugurated by union Textiles Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Nagaland in December 2014.

Zeliang said this centre will help in utilising the talents of the people of the northeast as they have their own ingenuity, as can be seen from the beautiful motifs and unique designs in their textiles.

"Of late, many youth of the northeast are taking keen interest in fashion technology and fashion designing, either as a hobby or as a profession," he said, adding that Naga youth Atsu Sekhose has made a name for himself as a successful fashion designer in Paris.

Gangwar said his ministry has sanctioned three sericulture projects in Nagaland, with central support of Rs.101.25 crore in the last two years, and added that these projects will support production in all three varieties of silk -- Eri, Muga and Mulberry, from plantation to finished product to marketing.

He said these projects will help about 5,000 farmers.