Agartala, July 9: Tripura Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Wednesday emphasized the state government’s commitment to developing a robust “farm to fork” ecosystem for organic farmers. Speaking at the state’s first-ever buyer-seller meet for organic produce, the Minister highlighted the strategic vision to link farmers with a streamlined system of production, processing, and marketing.
“We are working heart and soul to ensure that organic farmers receive full institutional support,” Nath said. “Our goal is to create an automated chain that directly connects farmers to consumers, ensuring better income and wider market access.”
Tripura has already achieved organic certification for over 25,000 hectares of farmland. To bolster this initiative, 53 organic Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) have been formed to promote high-value crops like Queen pineapple, bird’s eye chilli, black rice, aromatic and sticky rice, millet, turmeric, ginger, and scented lemon.
Among these, Tripura’s GI-tagged Queen pineapple is gaining national and international recognition. “Its natural sweetness with a brix level of 16-20% makes it ideal for juice production,” Nath said. “While the Queen is popular for fresh consumption, the larger Kew variety is well-suited for industrial processing.”
Tripura’s organic produce is now reaching major Indian markets in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Guwahati, as well as export destinations such as Dubai, Oman, and Dhaka.
Sharing export figures, Nath revealed that in the last three years, Tripura has exported 666 metric tonnes (MT) of pineapple, 574 MT of ginger, 52 MT of turmeric, 33 MT of aromatic rice, and 7 MT of chilli. To support farmers and boost competitiveness, the state offers a transport subsidy of ₹5,000 per MT for fresh produce sent outside Tripura.
The initiative reflects Tripura’s growing role in India’s organic agriculture movement.