Zhavame, in Nagaland's Phek district, has carried the government-conferred title 'Vegetable Village' since 2010, when it became a horticult...

Zhavame, in Nagaland's Phek district, has carried the government-conferred title 'Vegetable Village' since 2010, when it became a horticulture showcase for organic cabbage grown by over 350 households. This season's harvest is one of the biggest yet — and it's rotting where it stands, because roughly 70% of the crop traditionally moves through Manipur, where ongoing unrest has forced traders onto a 12-hour detour via Ukhrul instead of the direct route. A 40-45kg bag that fetched farmers Rs 700 last year now sells for Rs 180, while the cost of getting it to market has doubled to Rs 26,000-30,000 a trip. A District Horticulture Office team has since visited to take stock. Sixteen years after the branding exercise, Zhavame still has no cold storage, no assured market linkage, and a name on a signboard.