Agartala: The Tripura government is set to invest Rs 50 crore in agricultural equipment during the ongoing Kharif season in a major push to bridge the state’s production gap, Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Monday.
Addressing the press after a review session with officials and public representatives, Nath said the initiative targets coverage of 47,500 hectares of farmland, including 25,000 hectares dedicated to hybrid paddy cultivation.
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“We are distributing 1,500 power tillers to farmers and, for the first time, introducing subsidies for betel leaf cultivators,” the Minister said.
In an effort to streamline seed distribution and beneficiary identification, block-level elected representatives and standing committee members were roped in. “Usually, grassroots leaders are left out of the planning process. This time, we want them to be directly involved so that implementation is faster and more transparent,” Nath added.
He further informed the reporters that seeds had already been dispatched to village-level centres, and local leaders were instructed to finalise beneficiary lists by the end of this month.
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In a bid to encourage innovation in farming, the government will also reward progressive farmers, Rs 10,000 at the block level, with higher rewards at district and state levels.
“We aim to increase yield by two metric tons per hectare. If achieved, it would be enough to close the current production-consumption gap,” Nath said, underlining the significance of deploying high-end machinery in achieving the seasonal target.