Kohima: 3rd Naga King Chili (Raja Mircha) Festival held at Seiyhama village

Kohima: The 3rd Naga King Chili (Raja Mircha) Festival took place on Friday at Seiyhama village below Botsa in Kohima district, with Meyasashi, the Director of Horticulture, attending as the special guest. In his address, he highlighted the importance of creating a strong brand for the Naga King Chili, which was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2008. He also referenced the chili’s certification by Guinness World Records in 2006, where it recorded 10,01,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHU).

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Meyasashi encouraged farmers to adopt a more commercial mindset, suggesting the need to monitor exports and imports from the village while exploring value-added processes like capsaicin extraction to enhance marketability. He also recommended promoting the chili at the annual Hornbill Festival and adopting smart horticulture practices to ensure year-round production.

Lhoulalie Zumu, Chairman of the Seiyhama Village Council and festival convenor, reflected on how the inaugural festival in 2022 provided farmers with a platform to tap into the chili’s market potential, beyond selling it at low prices. The festival has since contributed to establishing a local market and raising awareness of the chili’s value.

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Despite the festival’s success, farmers in Seiyhama face challenges, including the nearest motorable road being an hour away and difficult terrain making transportation challenging. Kelhousilie Thevo, Treasurer of the Organizing Committee, reported that in 2024, around 150 households are involved in Naga King Chili farming, with an expected annual harvest of 14,000 kilograms valued at Rs 70 lakh.

The program, chaired by Savio Metha, Secretary of the Organising Committee, included an invocation by Khriezelhou Sopfünuo, a song by Kezhalelhou Metha, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Lily Metha, the coordinator of the organizing committee. The festival was officially declared open by the special guest.

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