INTACH-Led Regional Event Highlights Indigenous Varieties, Climate Resilience and Youth Participation
The first Northeast Festival of Rice—themed “Grains of Heritage”—commenced on Thursday at Agri Expo, Chümoukedima, with Nagaland Agriculture Advisor Mhathung Yanthan declaring the three-day regional celebration open.
Organized by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Nagaland Chapter, the festival brings together farmers, researchers, institutions, and cultural groups from across the Northeastern states to celebrate rice as a shared agricultural, cultural, and ecological heritage.
In his inaugural address, Yanthan described the event as historic, noting that it places rice at the heart of Northeast identity. “For the people of the Northeast, rice is not just an agricultural commodity. Rice is life, rice is culture, rice is identity,” he said, highlighting its presence in every stage of life—from birth and marriage to festivals and harvest celebrations.
He lauded INTACH Nagaland for its vision, recalling his support when first approached with the concept in 2019. Emphasizing the region’s status as a global biodiversity hotspot, Yanthan said Nagaland alone has identified over 200 indigenous rice landraces, each uniquely adapted to specific microclimates and terrains. However, he cautioned that many traditional varieties are degenerating or at risk of being lost.
Describing farmers as the “true knowledge holders,” Yanthan said these seeds represent generations of accumulated wisdom and stewardship. He pointed out that amid growing climate challenges—erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, and pest outbreaks—many traditional rice varieties already possess valuable traits such as flood tolerance, drought resistance, and low-input adaptability.
Calling for innovation rooted in tradition, he stressed the need to improve long-duration varieties into shorter-duration, high-yielding, and climate-resilient strains to enhance economic viability and reduce risks for farmers.
Yanthan also underlined that sustainability has long been embedded in indigenous farming practices. Rice cultivation, he said, sustains entire ecosystems of livelihoods—from farmers and artisans to weavers and traders—and protecting rice means protecting rural economies.
Encouraging youth participation, he urged students to value seeds, soil, and water and to emerge as responsible scientists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. He also informed that Nagaland has framed a new Agriculture Policy 2024–2025 and invited active collaboration from researchers and experts in its implementation.
The inaugural program featured a symbolic sowing of rice seeds and an invocation by Ao Baptist Church, Diphupar Pastor Rev. Lipok Jamir. Welcome remarks were delivered by INTACH Nagaland Chapter State Convener Padmashree Sentila T. Yanger, followed by addresses from officials of ICAR and other institutions. The ceremony concluded with a cultural presentation by NEZCC, celebrating the region’s rich heritage intertwined with rice.
