Agartala Jan 12: In Tripura, farmers mainly cultivate potatoes using the TPS (True Potato Seed) method. This method is expensive and requires a lot of labor.
In order to cultivate potatoes in a simpler method, the Horticulture Department has planned to cultivate potatoes using the ARC (Apical Root Cutting) method, State Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Friday.
He said, more than 100 farmers in eight districts of the state are cultivating potatoes using the ARC method. As a result of the yield of this method, Tripura state will be self-sufficient in potato seeds within the next five years.
Nath pointed out, potatoes are also being cultivated using the ARC method in the Horticulture Research Complex.
On Friday the Minister visited the Horticulture Research Complex at Nagichhara in West Tripura District. He inspected the cultivation of potatoes using the ARC method as well as how potatoes are cultivated using the TPS method.
Along with the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, the Secretary of the Department, Apurba Roy, the Agriculture Commissioner, Sharadindu Das, and the Horticulture Department Commissioner, Phanibhushan Jamatia, were present along with the Deputy Director of the Horticulture Research Complex, Rajib Ghosh.
Interacting with the media, he said, the Tripura government is promoting the ARC method of potato cultivation, which is more efficient and cost-effective than the traditional TPS method.
The Minister also said Tripura is the largest producer of TPS and exports to other states, even in foreign countries.
Today, he distributed seeds of ginger to a group of farmers hailing from the Dukli area in the Research Complex.
