In a move aimed at supporting farmers, the government of Tripura has announced a transportation subsidy for crops such as pineapple, areca nut, and jackfruit etc.
Moreover, considering the lower production of Ayush paddy, the government plans to introduce the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) program to counter the losses faced by the farmers, said Ratan Lal Nath, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department.
The Minister held a joint review meeting of the agriculture, horticulture, and soil conservation departments on Monday and came up crucial initiatives to add momentum in the Agri sector.
Speaking to the media following the review meeting, Nath further revealed plans for a unique initiative called the Urban Horti project, which will be implemented across all 20 urban Bodies in the State.
The project aims to cultivate a variety of horticultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
“In areas where open land is scarce, we will encourage rooftop cultivation. We had an elaborate discussion on this new project” the Minister said.
Nath reiterated the government’s commitment to doubling farmers’ earnings and acknowledged that transportation costs pose a significant challenge for farmers.
To address this issue, the State Government will provide a transportation subsidy of Rs 5 per kilogram for pineapple, jackfruit, and areca nuts etc to benefit the growers.
In another important development, the Minister announced the launch of the ICM initiative to mitigate the losses incurred by farmers due to reduced Ayush paddy production caused by inadequate rainfall.
The government will prioritize increasing Aman paddy production while promoting the cultivation of various fruits, pulses, and vegetables, enabling farmers to compensate for their losses, he said.
During the meeting, Minister Nath also expressed concern over the decline in the production of indigenous fruits like litchi, Indian blackberry, and apple ber.
The department will take measures to boost the production of these fruits within the State.
Furthermore, the Minister revealed plans to launch a mobile application called Kishan Sahayata App, which will provide farmers with essential information on weather conditions and agricultural practices, among other things.
Ratan Lal Nath also shed lights on plans relating to nourishing the Orchids and coconut cultivation.
He said there are 44 Orchids in the State which are in deplorable condition owing to multiple reasons including encroachment. The government has decided to put barbed wire fencing in 14 orchids out of 44 initially.
Moreover, plans are afoot to install solar power based submersible pumps to the water requirements in the orchids.