Thirteen farmers led by Rokobikho Savino, secretary, Confederation of Naga Farmers Union (CONFU) and Khrielezo Bio, advisor attended a special training on rubber plantation at Rubber Training Institute (RTI), Kotayyam from June 25-29.
The training was sponsored by rubber board India.

The training covered aspects like site selection, nursery raising, planting, managing, tapping and processing. Both theoretical and practical training was imparted by various resource persons from Rubber Board India.

Rubber plantation is found to be a lucrative crop which can substitute Jhum culture in Nagaland, especially in the foot hill areas of the state.

Along with it, there are numerous rubber based small industries which can be taken up by educated youths.
Rubber Board has many suitable schemes for north eastern states where even the poorest farmers can take up rubber plantation, provided the right information and knowledge is imparted to ignorant farmers.

The training conducted was first of its kind in the country wherein rubber board has imparted to a group of farmers from its head quarters at Kottayam.

CONFU in a release has expressed gratitude to rubber board chairwoman Sheela Thomas, IAS (rubber production commissioner), Dr. Thomas J (director, training), Dr. C. Kuruvilla Jacob (deputy rubber production commissioner), Sunny Vargheese (development officer, rubber board, Dimapur), Binoy Lukose and Thomas Joseph for exclusively taking care of the team in all matters.