Tripura Agri Minister Ratan Lal Nath joins paddy drive, urges modern farming

Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening the agricultural sector and improving the welfare of the farming community by participating in a paddy plantation programme at Gajaria village in West Tripura.

The programme was attended by senior officials of the Agriculture Department, local public representatives, and a large number of farmers, reflecting the government’s sustained efforts to promote scientific, sustainable, and technology‑driven agricultural practices across the state.

After planting paddy alongside farmers, the Minister said that agriculture continues to be one of the principal pillars of Tripura’s economy and that the state’s food security largely depends on the dedication, hard work, and perseverance of its farming community.

He emphasised that the use of high‑quality seeds, adoption of modern cultivation techniques, and implementation of scientific farming practices can substantially enhance crop productivity while ensuring better returns and higher incomes for farmers.

“The government is consistently implementing a wide range of farmer‑centric initiatives to modernise agriculture, improve productivity, and strengthen rural livelihoods,” he said.

Sharing his experience of working in the paddy fields with farmers, Nath said the fragrance of the soil, feet covered in mud, and the genuine smiles of farmers made the experience unforgettable. He described farmers as the true architects of food security and stressed that recognising their hard work and making agriculture more prosperous is a collective responsibility.

The Minister further said that the overall development and economic progress of the state are closely linked to the prosperity of its farmers and the growth of the agricultural sector.

“To make agriculture more profitable, sustainable, and technology‑driven, the government is continuously providing farmers with training, improved seed varieties, modern agricultural machinery, and various forms of financial and technical assistance,” he said.

He added that the government remains committed to equipping farmers with the latest agricultural technologies and best practices so they can increase production, reduce cultivation costs, and improve their overall standard of living.

Farmers who participated in the programme appreciated the government’s pro‑farmer initiatives and expressed hope that such field‑level interactions and plantation programmes would continue in the future, encouraging more cultivators to adopt advanced and scientific farming practices across the state.