Dimapur: Nagaland’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education–Rain Forest Research Institute (ICFRE-RFRI), Jorhat, to strengthen forestry research in the state.
Following the signing of the MoU at the Forest Office Complex in Dimapur, Director of ICFRE-RFRI, Jorhat, Nitin Kulkarni described the agreement as the beginning of a stronger partnership between the institute and the Nagaland government for the sustainable management of forest resources.
He said RFRI, which functions under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, has been conducting research on agroforestry, bamboo, agarwood and other forest resources across the Northeast.
Kulkarni said research should ultimately benefit people through technology transfer, extension activities and capacity-building programmes for farmers and other stakeholders.
He noted that the Northeast is one of India’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity and stressed the need for the judicious and sustainable use of natural resources while conserving them for future generations.
Kulkarni expressed confidence that the collaboration with Nagaland would promote scientific research, sustainable livelihoods and value addition to the state’s forest and plantation resources.
Principal Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema underscored the importance of strengthening forestry research and sustainable forest management through institutional collaboration.
Sema said Nagaland is looking towards sustainable development after nearly two decades of peace, with plantation-based livelihoods such as agarwood and coffee offering significant opportunities for economic growth while protecting the environment.
Describing the MoU as the beginning of a long-term partnership, Sema urged the department and RFRI to work closely on research, farmer training, technology dissemination and market development.
He said sustained coordination and collaboration among the government, research institutions and local communities would be essential for achieving sustainable development and improving the livelihoods of Nagaland’s farming community.
Sema also said the MoU follows the state cabinet’s approval of the Nagaland Agarwood (Conservation and Promotion) Policy, 2026, which seeks to promote the scientific cultivation, conservation and trade of agarwood in the state.