Kohima: The Nagaland government and Rubber Board of India (RBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Nodal Centre of the National Institute for Rubber Training (NIRT) at Rüzaphema in Chümoukedima district.
The MoU was signed on January 9 during the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the National Institute for Rubber Training at the Rubber Research Institute (RRI), Kottayam, Kerala, marking 25 years of NIRT’s contribution to skill development and capacity building in the rubber sector.
The signing ceremony was attended by Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying George Kurian, along with senior officials of the Rubber Board of India and NIRT.
Meanwhile, the Additional Director of the Department of Land Resources, Nagaland, congratulated NIRT(National Institute of Rubber Training) on 25 years of excellence.
He stated that the Department of Land Resources is delighted to partner with NIRT, RBI. “Our state has more than 4 lakh hectares suitable for Rubber cultivation, but only 20,000 hectares are developed so far,” he said.
He said the establishment of the nodal centre would support training, research, and development activities, helping to expand rubber cultivation, improve rural incomes, generate employment, and promote sustainable land use. He added that the collaboration would also benefit the local ecosystem and conservation efforts, aligning economic development with environmental responsibility.
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He said the memorandum of understanding would further strengthen the department’s long-standing association with the Rubber Board, driven by a shared vision to promote ecology, employment and economic growth through scientific cultivation practices, skill development in the rubber sector.
