Agartala, Aug 20
Tripura Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Wednesday that the Central government has authorised the state to certify paddy seeds for neighboring Mizoram and Manipur.
The Minister said that if the Tripura Agriculture Department gives certification to the paddy of Manipur and Mizoram, then their paddy would be truly certified.
After unveiling the statue of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan at the State Agriculture Research Station premises at Arundhuti Nagar, on the outskirts of the city, Nath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that by 2030, 72 per cent of edible oil must be produced within the country.
"Hence, the government is giving high priority on edible oil production. Because we don't need to import fish or milk, but we do need to import edible oil. That is why we are stressing on producing edible oil," said the Minister.
He appreciated the Research Centre officials for installing the statue of Dr. M S Swaminathan.
"It is due to him (Swaminathan) that agriculture got a good shape in the country. He worked to make our country self-sufficient in food grains.
Dr. Swaminathan always emphasised that if agriculture fails, nothing else can be developed," Nath said.
"If we can't make a good budget for agriculture, then all other budgets will fail," he observed and said that the department is working to strengthen agriculture through integrated cultivation.
Noting that India now exports fish, eggs, rice, milk, sugar, and spices to several countries, the Minister said that at the Arundhuti Nagar centre, research is conducted on paddy, while at Nagicherra, research is carried out on all horticulture items.
"Tripura has two research centres. I want to tell all the farmers to get in touch with the agriculture centres in the state so that we can work on modern agriculture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed the path shown by Dr. Swaminathan, and because of that, India is second in paddy production and we also export it. Credit goes to the farmers," said the Minister.
He informed that in the state, among 58 blocks, 31 blocks are self-sufficient in food grain production. "We want the same in all districts and sub-divisions for self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors," the Minister stated.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Dr. Swaminathan's contributions to Indian agriculture cannot be overstated. Good to see his legacy being honored while focusing on self-sufficiency goals. Jai Kisan! 🌾
Hope this doesn't become another bureaucratic hurdle for farmers. Certification should be simple and farmer-friendly, not another license raj in disguise.
Interesting development. Regional cooperation in agriculture could really boost food security in the Northeast. Hope the implementation is smooth and benefits actual farmers.
ज़रूरी है कि हम edible oil production में आतà¥à¤®à¤¨à¤¿à¤°à¥à¤à¤° बनें। हर साल इतना तेल import करना देश के लिठअचà¥à¤›à¤¾ नहीं है। अचà¥à¤›à¥€ initiative है!
While the intentions are good, I hope the certification process is transparent and doesn't create additional costs for our farmers. They already face enough challenges.
Good to see regional cooperation in agriculture. Standardized seed certification across states can really improve crop yields and quality. Hope other regions follow this model.
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