Agartala, 13th July 2026: Minister for PTG and Minority Welfare and Jolaibari MLA Shuklacharan Noatia on Monday said the present state government is a farmer-friendly government committed to ensuring fair prices for agricultural produce and doubling farmers’ income.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Rabi paddy procurement drive at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹23.69 per kg near the Jolaibari Agriculture Supervisor’s office. The procurement programme is being jointly organised by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
Addressing the media, Minister Noatia said the initiative to procure paddy directly from farmers at MSP was launched in December 2018 to provide remunerative prices, strengthen the farming community and make farmers economically self-reliant. He added that the procurement programme has since been conducted regularly during both the Kharif and Rabi seasons across the state.
The Minister informed that the procurement drive in Jolaibari for the current Rabi season will continue till July 23.
Agriculture Supervisor Sridam Das said the government has set a target of procuring 1,318 metric tonnes of paddy from farmers in the Jolaibari area. He noted that the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to increasing farmers’ income while ensuring hassle-free procurement at MSP.
The programme was attended by MLA Pramod Reang, Jolaibari Panchayat Samiti Chairman Tapas Datta, BAC Chairman Ashok, Shantirbazar Municipal Council Chairperson Swapna Baidya, Vice-Chairman Satyabrata Saha, Chief Inspector of the Shantirbazar Food Department Krishna Chakraborty, Jolaibari Block Panchayat Samiti member Sujit Datta, and other officials and public representatives.
Farmers expressed satisfaction over the procurement initiative, saying the MSP scheme has enabled them to receive fair prices for their produce and strengthened their confidence in government support.
