Kiwi Hill

As the traditional agriculture struggles to survive, various commercial farmings have been started at Ziro these days. One of them is kiwifruit, introduced a few years back. Not that the fruit is entirely new; its wild variety has been savored by the local people as long as they can remember.

The picture above is one of the many fairly large scale cultivations started at Ziro. This is located at Tajang Myolyañ, just two kilometers ahead of Pine Grove.

Dree Story - 1: the Beginning of Agriculture

Abotani was tired. It had been a long day. He did not get much food today, though he had trekked through several hills. He had to forage for food everyday. He had to survive.

Lying down beside the fire, an idea struck Abotani, “I could plant the seeds of the food at one place. I won’t, then, have to go from place to place.”

As the cocks crew early next morning, he took this idea to Aba Liibo and Ane Donii. “A brilliant idea, Tani,” they cried. “Go to Jilyu Myogyañ (Jilyu Myodi) and Tolyo Siipêr (Yomo Barañ). Sow the seeds there. They shall be your aji (agricultural fields).”

“Where would I get the seeds?” Abotani asked.

“Ah, we will find out who can give you the seeds,” Aba Liibo and Ane Donii said.

Help was forthcoming. Hintii and Hirii offered to provide seeds for the primary food items. So, Abotani got seeds of emo (rice), sarse (millet), taku (cucumber) and tanyi (corn) from them.

“These seeds are pure,” they told. “They will yield pure food. They will sustain you in good times and bad times.”

Aha Riñtii brought the seeds of other food items like tape (pumpkin), peruñ (bean), inge (taro) and so on. Abotani did not consider them pure but sowed them to supplement his diet.

Cultivation was thus started in Jilyu Myogyañ and Tolyo Siipêr. Life became more comfortable for Abotani. After some years, however, the yield decreased. Abotani was worried. He consulted Aba Liibo and Ane Donii again, “I have been working hard in the fields, but the land is not kind to me. What could be the reason?”

Aba Liibo and Ane Donii examined the soil and said, “Aha! These fields have lost their fetility.”

“Is there nothing I can do?” Abotani asked.

“Yes, you can, Tani,” they said. “Some distance from here is a place named Liiha Poñtañ. Go ye there and cultivate.”

So, Abotani shifted to Liiha Poñtañ and made it his agricultural field.

Tarin

The Apatanis have always practiced multicropping in their paddy fields. Bulyu, tasiñ, ngiiyi amii and chunyi have always been harvested. These can be said to be the harbinger of the present day paddy-cum-pisciculture.

The practice got a major boost with the establishment of the Regional High Altitude Fish Seed Farm at Tarin near Ziro.

Till recently this picturesque site was the most popular picnic spot every new year. This trend, happily, has been checked to a large extent now. And other better sites are replacing it. Yet, it retains its freshness and continues to attract visitors from far and near even today.

This farm is said to be one of the very few of its kind anywhere in the world. Fish seeds are cultivated here and sold to the farmers at subsidized rates. At the same time, it is a demonstration site where bigger fishes too are raised.

The farm staff are now getting ready to prepare enough seeds for the farmers this season. Welcome to Tarin.

Midiñ - Green Beds

The seed beds - midiñs - are turning from black to yellow to green these days at Ziro.

It won't be long when the growing paddy plants will be taller and ready to be transplanted in the fields. In the meantime, the fields are filled with water and getting ready for the next season of agriculture.