KOHIMA: The 3rd edition of the Naga King Chilli (Raja Mircha) Festival was held on Friday at Seiyhama village in Nagaland’s Kohima district, highlighting the cultural and culinary significance of the chilli, a key ingredient in Naga cuisines.
Seiyhama village is a prominent producer of the fiery Naga King Chilli, which received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2008.
Gracing the festival as a special guest, Meyasashi, director at Directorate of Horticulture, emphasized the importance of developing a strong brand for Naga King Chilli, an iconic crop that has earned international recognition.
Nagaland’s King Chilli, also known as Naga Mircha, was certified by Guinness Book of World Records in September 2006 for its extreme heat, measured at 10,01,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
“The Naga king chilli remains India’s hottest chilli and a significant asset for Nagas,” Meyasashi said.
Meyasashi advocated for a comprehensive economic development strategy that would encourage farmers to adopt more commercial practices.
He advised king chilli farmers to monitor exports and imports within their village to identify areas for improvement.
He suggested that beyond harvesting and selling the crop, farmers should explore value-added processes such as capsaicin extraction, which could boost the Naga chilli’s commercial viability.
He suggested promoting Naga Mircha at the annual Hornbill Festival to increase its visibility.
He also highlighted the need to move towards smart horticulture practices to ensure year-round production.
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Chairman of the Seiyhama Village Council and convenor of the festival, Lhoulalie Zumu said that farmers, who were earlier unaware of the market potential, used to sell the fiery fruit at a nominal rate.
The annual festival has helped farmers establish a local market within their village, Zumu added.
