The District Level Consultation  Meeting was held on 26th  April, 2019 at Chhim Veng Hall, Mamit at 11:00 am under the chairmanship  of Pu. C. Lalengliana,  District Project Manager -  Mamit.  The chairman  welcomed  and thanked  all the Village  Council Presidents and Secretaries  representing  their respective  villages and the State Project Director and staff from the Project  Management  Unit (PMU) for attending  the meeting. He also informed  the members present that the District Commissioner  wasn't  able to attend the meeting due to his pre official engagements  but is already aware of FOCUS Project as it was already discussed the previous day at the meeting held in the Conference Hall ofthe  District Commissioner.

The Chairman  invited the  State Project  Manager  where he introduced  the staff from  the  PMU  and  gave  brief  description  of  FOCUS  Project.  He  informed  the  members present that the Co- Chairman and Mission Director of SCRAM (Society of Climate Resilent Agriculture  in Mizoram) gave their full support in the functioning of the Project and it is due to their support the Project  is able to speed up. He also mentioned  that the Project  involved various   line   Departments   -   Agriculture,   Horticulture,    Veterinary   and   Soil   &   Water

Conservation  Department  where various staff are recruited at district, circle and village level to cater the needs of the farmers. At the same time, he advised the Village Council members present to take care and support such newly recruited staffwhen  they went to their villages as they  are  to  work  under  their  guidance.  He  informed  the  members  on  the  various  initial activities  to  be undertaken  under  the  Project  and  once  again  thanked  the  District  Project Manager, Mamit for being the first to organize the District Level Consultation Meeting.

Pi Hmangaihzuali,  Dy. Director  of Horticulture  requested  the  Village  Council members  to be involved  in the Project  as the Project  aim to uplift  and improve  the  living condition  and financial status of the farming family. She informed the members that the VC has to  identify  and  select the  lead  farmers  in their  own villages  with utmost  care without political involvement and must also be a hard-worker.

A discussion  was held where most of the members  present gave brief report on the  current  status  of their  respective  villages.    It was  found  that  most  of the  villages  are interested  in growing arecanut while others are already  involved  in growing oil palm.  Some of the questions raised during the discussions  are as under:

i)          Can construction  of Bridge be included under construction  of the link road?

ii) One VC member pointed  out that their village grows oil palm in large quantity at the neighbouring  village area (Kawrtethawveng)  and asked if oil palm crop is included in the Project.

iii)       If Arecanut  planting  material  is to  be  distributed  in their  village,  they  wanted  the

planting material to be from a source known to them.

iv) Suarhliap VC member hinted that problem  arises with the existing  link road in their village and at the same time the village  largest activity is growing arecanut.  He also said that the villagers would be glad if support is given to those who do not have their own land as the Project allows providing help to the landless.

v) They  wanted  to  know  and  see proper  guidelines  for  selection  of Lead  farmer  and formation  of Farmers  Interest  Group as it very  easy to politicize  every work where VC's  are involved.

vi)        If Arhar can be grown in low lying and plain areas.

vii) VC  Secretary,  Kawrthah   informed  the  members   that  the  village  is  successfully growing arecanut  and questioned  the staff regarding  the arecanut  booklet distributed at the meeting.  He highlighted  that recommended  practices  such as depth of the ring basin and fertilizer  application  could never be followed at the field as the input will be very costly. He also said they require better link road.

viii)      One  VC highlighted  that  villages  in Mamit  district  are growing  arecanut  at a very large scale and most of them are successful.  The only thing they haven't  introduced within the district  is Kuhva  Skop which will benefit most of the farmers engaged  in growing arecanut and asked if the Skop could be introduced.

Mr. Lalremmawia,  Asst Manager (Planning) thanked everyone present at the meeting and hope  it is beneficial  for all the members  as the Project will benefit most of the farmers within the District. A total of 78 Village Council Presidents  and Secretaries  could be present.