In a boost to organic farming and farmers’ income in Tripura, a consignment of over 15,000 organically grown scented lemons have been sent to other states and are set to be even shipped overseas. Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath, on Monday, flagged off the shipment of 15,000 scented lemons from the Agartala Railway Station to Kolkata, signifying yet another achievement in the state’s burgeoning organic farming landscape. During the event, the Minister highlighted that while Tripura’s scented lemons have been previously exported, this shipment was organised through the Tripura State Organic Farming Development Agency in partnership with the Baramura Organic Produces Company Limited. “This is a historic day for our state, Tripura. While we have previously exported organic scented lemons to other places, today we achieved a landmark feat by exporting over 15,000 organically grown scented lemons to other states and even abroad. This has been made possible through the Tripura State Organic Farming Development Agency,” the Minister informed the media at the railway station.
Nath said that the lemons have been grown by approximately 80 farmers across nearly 100 hectares in the South Hadrai and Hawaibari regions of Khowai district. The initiative was spearheaded by Sourav Gupta, a resident of Agartala, in alignment with the ‘Prabashi Tripura’ initiative launched recently under the direction of Chief Minister Manik Saha. The Minister announced that another shipment of 15,000 scented lemons is planned for export in the near future. He emphasised the progress in organic farming within the state, noting that the area dedicated to organic cultivation has surged from about 2,000 hectares before 2018 to over 20,000 hectares today.“Our primary goal is to enhance farmers’ income. The state government is committed to aiding farmers by ensuring they have market access and receive fair pricing through Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs),” he added.
