The central government has authorised Tripura to certify paddy seeds for the neighbouring states of Manipur and Mizoram, a move aimed at ensuring authenticity and improving quality in regional seed distribution, announced Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Wednesday. The announcement was made during the unveiling of a statue of agricultural scientist Dr. M. S. Swaminathan at the State Agriculture Research Station in AD Nagar. Nath said the certification process, managed by the Tripura Agriculture Department, will provide genuine recognition to paddy produced in the two northeastern states.
Speaking at the event, Nath paid tribute to Dr. Swaminathan, calling him a visionary who shaped the Green Revolution and made India self-sufficient in food grains. “He always emphasised that if agriculture fails, nothing else can develop. A good agriculture budget is the foundation for all other budgets,” Nath said. Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for boosting domestic edible oil production, Nath noted that while India has achieved self-sufficiency in fish and milk, edible oil remains a key gap. The government aims to produce 72 percent of the country’s edible oil domestically by 2030, he added.
The Minister also stressed the importance of modernising agriculture through integrated farming, noting that India’s strong export basket—including rice, sugar, fish, milk, eggs, and spices—is a result of farmers’ hard work and Swaminathan’s vision. Nath encouraged Tripura farmers to engage with agricultural research centres to adopt modern practices and improve yields.Sharing the state’s progress, he informed that out of Tripura’s 58 blocks, 31 have achieved self-sufficiency in food grain cultivation, with Chandipur RD Block being the latest addition.
