Agartala, Oct 11 (IANS) The Tripura government is according priority to agriculture and horticulture to boost farmers’ income and achieve self-reliance in food grains and various horticultural crops, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Sunday.
The state government has undertaken infrastructure development projects in 204 agricultural markets with an investment of Rs 461.83 crore between 2018-19 and 2025-26, of which 87 projects have been completed and 117 are in progress, the minister said.
Nath made the remarks while inaugurating various projects and laying foundation stones for new initiatives of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department in Kalyanpur and Khowai.
The minister inaugurated the office of the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Horticulture and Soil Conservation in Khowai district. He also inaugurated a two-storey rural market at Brindavan Ghat Bazar in the district and opened it for farmers and traders.
Nath said Tripura currently has 554 agricultural markets, and infrastructure facilities such as sheds, stalls, toilets, drinking water and drainage systems are being developed to improve their functioning. The objective is to enable farmers to sell their produce conveniently and obtain fair prices for their hard work, he said, adding that the state government was committed to the overall development of agriculture and the welfare of farmers.
Highlighting the expansion of agricultural infrastructure, Nath said that 71 market development projects were undertaken between 2013 and 2017 with an allocation of Rs 20.26 crore. In comparison, 204 projects were taken up between 2018-19 and 2025-26 with a total allocation of Rs 461.83 crore, he added.
The minister said every district in the state now has a Deputy Director of Agriculture and a Deputy Director of Horticulture and Land Conservation. The state government has also decided to establish an agricultural sub-divisional office in every block to ensure that farmers receive the benefits of various Central and state government schemes. At present, Tripura has 47 Agricultural Sub-Divisional Offices and nine Horticulture and Land Conservation Sub-Divisional Offices, he said.
Nath said the government had also initiated the process of issuing a unique Farmer ID to every farmer to facilitate access to welfare schemes and other benefits. On natural farming, the minister said 5,550 hectares of land were currently under the cultivation method, benefiting 13,875 farmers. An additional 11,250 hectares would be brought under natural farming during the 2026-27 financial year, he added.
The minister further said that organically produced crops worth Rs 17.2 crore had been marketed in different states across the country and abroad since 2020-21.
Highlighting the government’s efforts to promote farm mechanisation, Nath said 50,300 agricultural machines had been distributed across the state over the past eight years with subsidies totalling Rs 233.63 crore. In comparison, 2,600 agricultural machines were distributed between 2013 and 2017 with a total subsidy of Rs 28.35 crore, he added.
–IANS
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