: His 30-Yr Effort To Grow Non-Native Fruits Has Helped 1000s Earn More The Same Way #IndiaNEWS #inspiring While the native fruits of Nagaland are persimmon, chestnut, walnut, hazelnut, plums, avocado,

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His 30-Yr Effort To Grow Non-Native Fruits Has Helped 1000s Earn More The Same Way #IndiaNEWS #inspiring
While the native fruits of Nagaland are persimmon, chestnut, walnut, hazelnut, plums, avocado, pears, peach, lemon and guava, among others, if you happen to visit Noklak near Assam, you are bound to come across litchi, kiwi, orange and other plantations that are not specific to the region.
These unique plantations do not exist by accident. They have sprung up as a result of a 30-year long effort put by a native for his love and passion for fruits.
L Hangthing from Noklak belonged to a farming family where his forefathers grew paddy and other vegetables through traditional agriculture methods. The family was poor and could hardly make ends meet.
“We were a family of 12 with ten siblings, and I am the fifth child. I was always fascinated by fruits. I would accompany my father on his trips to Dimapur, and learned about so many fruits on those 12-14 hour journeys. I always wanted to taste fruits like mangoes, kiwi, and litchis,� he tells The Better India.
Hangthing with his banana plantations.
But whenever they passed a fruit vendor and the little boy, now 55, expressed his desire to eat one, his father would always tell him they could not afford it. Today, however, he has successfully created a 40-acre nursery that has not only helped him earn a decent income, but also enabled other farmers to earn additional income from horticulture.
Dream becomes reality
As a 10-year-old, Hangthing decided to collect seeds of the fruits thrown away by vendors or consumers. “I would then plant them on our farmland,� he says.
In 1987-88, when Hangthing turned 15 years old, he decided to start a nursery. “I used the collected seeds and sowed them haphazardly. I had no technical knowledge and used my judgment for the task. I sowed small seeds half an inch in the soil while I pushed the seeds with the bigger size to almost two inches deep. It was all experimental,� he says.
Hangthing says he failed with most of the seed varieties. “It was only the fourth or fifth time that I started succeeding. I kept changing methods or depths of sowing seeds, which yielded results. I learned from experience that every seed required different treatment,� he admits.
He says that though the seeds germinated, the saplings often failed to survive. “Friends, acquaintances and relatives mocked me and said that fruits like orange, apple, guava, kiwi, litchi and mango have never grown in our geographical area and never will, owing to the weather conditions,� he says.
Hangthing kept failing but continued his efforts. “Even if I did not receive any output, I would go back to sowing. I had nothing to lose. I had no choice but to move forward, even though it came with hardships and pain,� he says, adding, “My parents struggled to provide a comfortable life for the family.

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