Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath inaugurated a modern agricultural subdivision office at Jubarajnagar in North Tripura on October 16, highlighting the state government’s efforts to expand farmer services, promote scientific farming and improve food grain production through better infrastructure and training facilities.
Key Takeaways
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Tripura now has 47 agricultural subdivisions, compared with 36 before 2018, and nine horticulture subdivisions, up from eight.
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The state has allocated Rs 75.41 crore to modernise 28 agricultural subdivision office buildings under four schemes.
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South Tripura, Gomati and Sepahijala have achieved self-sufficiency in food grain production, while other districts are progressing towards the same goal.
Tripura is strengthening its agricultural infrastructure to improve food grain production, expand modern farming practices and raise farmers’ incomes. The state government has increased the number of agricultural subdivisions from 36 before 2018 to 47. It has also allocated Rs 75.41 crore to modernise 28 agricultural subdivision office buildings since 2023–24.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath outlined these initiatives on October 16 while inaugurating the Agri Development Research Cum Training Center and Krishak Bandhu Center at Jubarajnagar in North Tripura. He said the government aims to improve access to agricultural services, ensure the timely supply of modern farming inputs and strengthen farmers’ access to government schemes.
Tripura is expanding its agricultural infrastructure to improve food grain production, strengthen scientific farming and support the economic development of farmers. The state government has increased the number of agricultural subdivisions and launched a programme to modernise subdivision offices across the state.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced the initiatives on October 16 while inaugurating the Agri Development Research Cum Training Center and Krishak Bandhu Center at Jubarajnagar in North Tripura.
He said the government had placed food security, agricultural development and farmers’ welfare among its priorities. The initiatives aim to improve agricultural productivity and help farmers benefit from modern technology, timely inputs and government support programmes.
Three Districts Achieve Food Grain Self-Sufficiency
Nath said three of Tripura’s eight districts—South Tripura, Gomati and Sepahijala—had achieved self-sufficiency in food grain production.
Khowai has also become self-sufficient in rice production, he said. Meanwhile, Unakoti and Dhalai are moving towards self-sufficiency in food grain production.
North Tripura and West Tripura still lag behind the other districts, according to the minister. He said the government was working to strengthen agricultural development and improve production across the state.
The district-level progress highlights the government’s focus on reducing dependence on outside supplies by increasing local food grain production. Better infrastructure, improved access to agricultural inputs and wider use of scientific farming methods form part of this effort.
Government Expands Agricultural Subdivisions
Nath said the Agriculture Department previously lacked adequate and well-planned infrastructure in several agricultural subdivisions outside Agartala and the district headquarters. This gap made it difficult to provide farmers in those areas with effective access to departmental services.
The state government has since introduced a plan to establish an agricultural subdivision in every block. The initiative aims to improve the use of agricultural land, deliver modern farming inputs on time and ensure that farmers receive the benefits of central and state government schemes.
The government also intends to strengthen direct contact between agricultural officials and farmers. Better local infrastructure can help officials provide technical guidance and implement agricultural programmes more effectively.
Tripura has 58 blocks and currently operates 47 agricultural subdivisions. Before 2018, the state had 36 such subdivisions.
The number of horticulture subdivisions has also risen from eight before 2018 to nine at present, Nath said.
Rs 75.41 Cr Allocated to Modernise 28 Offices
The minister said the government was prioritising modern infrastructure for agricultural subdivision offices to improve service delivery and support the wider development of the agricultural sector.
Since 2023–24, the government has taken steps to modernise 28 agricultural subdivision office buildings. It has allocated a total of Rs 75.41 crore for these projects under four schemes.
The schemes include the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), North Eastern Council (NEC) and Special Assistance Capital.
The modernisation programme aims to create better working facilities for agricultural officials while improving farmers’ access to information, training and technical assistance.
Jubarajnagar Office Gets Modern Training Facilities
Nath inaugurated the new Jubarajnagar agricultural subdivision office building under the RIDF project. The government spent Rs 3.12 crore on the facility.
The building will include a dedicated training hall for farmers on its upper floor. It will also provide computers, internet connectivity and projectors to help farmers learn about the latest agricultural technologies and techniques.
Video conferencing facilities and other amenities will support training and the exchange of agricultural knowledge.
These facilities will help the Agriculture Department deliver technical information and training through a modern institutional setup. Farmers will have improved opportunities to learn about science-based cultivation methods and apply relevant techniques to their farming activities.
