The Nagaland Government has partnered with New Zealand to establish India’s first Centre of Excellence (CoE) for kiwifruit cultivation at Pfütsero town in the north-eastern state, in a move aimed at strengthening research, technology transfer and farmer capacity building in the sector.
Nagaland Minister for Water Resources and Horticulture Salhoutuonuo Kruse recently met an 11-member delegation from New Zealand and New Delhi to discuss the proposed project. Commissioner and Secretary for Horticulture Akumla Chuba, along with senior departmental officials, also attended the meeting.
The New Zealand delegation comprised six scientists and technical experts from the country’s Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI): Stephanie Clare Montgomery, Daniel Colin Black, Nicholas Gould, Jeremy Nicholas Burdon, Joy Lorraine Tyson and Steven Robert Green.
Representatives from the New Zealand Embassy in New Delhi and officials from the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare were also part of the delegation.
The proposed Centre of Excellence is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing Nagaland’s kiwi sector through scientific research, technology transfer and skills development. The initiative aligns with the state government’s broader vision of positioning Nagaland as the “Kiwi State of India” while creating improved livelihood opportunities for farmers through modern, science-based horticultural practices.
The project is also expected to promote scientific farming methods, support local growers and further strengthen agricultural cooperation between India and New Zealand.
One of the key objectives of the visit was the installation of a weather monitoring station at the proposed CoE site in Pfütsero. According to officials, the station will be the first such facility established by Nagaland’s Horticulture Department.
The facility will generate real-time data on weather conditions, soil health and water parameters, enabling precision farming and more effective cultivation management.
Kruse also highlighted the possibility of future exchange programmes that could allow Nagaland’s growers to visit New Zealand for training and exposure to advanced kiwifruit cultivation practices.
India’s north-eastern region has significant potential for cultivating a range of commercially viable fruit crops. However, farmers in the region generally face challenges related to limited economic resources and lower levels of technological know-how compared with many other parts of the country.
Nagaland is regarded as India’s second-largest producer of kiwifruit. Production in the state is concentrated primarily in Phek district, followed by Zunheboto and Kohima districts, with cultivation now being introduced in several other districts.
Farmers continue to face challenges related to marketing, storage, post-harvest losses, pests and diseases. Experts believe that improvements in farming technology and storage infrastructure could unlock significant opportunities for value addition, entrepreneurship and employment generation, providing a boost to the state’s economy and the livelihoods of its people.
