AGARTALA, Dec 19: Tripura Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury and Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Thursday jointly commenced the paddy procurement process from Madhabari in West Tripura district, which will continue for a month.
The government has set a target to procure 21,000 MT paddy directly from the farmers at a minimum support price of Rs 23 per kg in 51 centres during this season. Last year, the MSP was Rs 21.83 per kg.
“Since the BJP came to power in Tripura, we have started paddy procurement directly from the farmers to boost the rural economy. The erstwhile regime could not do it for the welfare of the farmers who are largely marginalised,” Chowdhury said.
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According to him , the government has spent Rs 397 crore so far for procuring paddy since 2018 and 1,07,000 farmers received the money.
“We have set a target of procuring 21,000 MT paddy this season and hope the farmers will meet the target despite floods in September,” he said.
Chowdhury also highlighted the benefit of the PM-Kishan scheme launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support the farmers. Under the scheme, each enlisted farmer gets annually Rs 6,000 in three installments.
The agriculture minister called upon the farmers not to leave an inch of land out of farming in view of the constraint in cultivable land in the northeastern state.
“Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission to double the income of farmers, the state government has been extending full support to farmers to make them self-reliant. Since we have a cultivable land constraint, the farmers must use each inch of land for their betterment,” Nath said.
Claiming that the monthly income of farmers in the state has increased from Rs 6,580 in 2018 to Rs 13,590 during 2023, the agriculture minister assured them that those who had suffered in the unprecedented flood in September would get financial assistance for the loss. (PTI)
