New Delhi, May 30: Tripura’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, has called for increased support from the central government to strengthen the state’s agricultural sector and improve the conditions of farmers. He presented several key proposals to the Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
During the National Agriculture Conference for the Kharif Campaign 2026, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare in New Delhi, Nath highlighted that rice is the primary crop in Tripura, covering nearly 49% of the state’s total gross cropped area.
He mentioned that for the fiscal year 2025-26, the state government aims to cultivate hybrid rice over 50,000 hectares, allocating ₹10 crores in the state budget for this initiative. Nath urged the central government to provide special assistance for the expansion of hybrid rice cultivation under the Pradhan Mantri National Agriculture Development Scheme.
The Agriculture Minister also noted significant success in organic farming in Tripura. Under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the Northeastern Region scheme, organic farming has commenced on 26,600 hectares, involving approximately 26,800 farmers.
He emphasized that since 96% of farmers in the state are small and marginal, the expansion of this scheme should encompass all of Tripura and other northeastern states.
Nath expressed concerns regarding fertilizer supply, requesting the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited to ensure a steady supply of urea to the state. He pointed out that the growing oil palm cultivation in Tripura requires increased chemical fertilizers, leading to a request for additional financial support from the Ministry of Fertilizers.
He also informed that over 1.5 million farmers in the state have benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana in the past eight years. However, he noted that the current insurance scheme does not adequately cover crop losses due to flooding in low-lying areas caused by heavy rainfall.
The Agriculture Minister demanded that flood be classified as a “local natural disaster” in the guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to ensure proper compensation for affected farmers.
Additionally, he requested an increase in the financial assistance for organic fencing in oil palm cultivation from ₹4,000 to ₹8,000.
Highlighting innovations in potato production, Nath stated that the adoption of Apical Rooted Cuttings (ARC) technology has nearly tripled potato yields in the state. He stressed the importance of ongoing technical consultations under the agreement with the International Potato Center in Lima, Peru. However, he noted that the RKVY-DPR scheme has been discontinued this year, and the provision for consultation fees should be reinstated.
The conference saw participation from agriculture ministers of 19 states, Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra, and several senior officials from the central government.
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