BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 17th January 2025: In a significant development for Tripura’s agricultural sector, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced the state’s first-ever export of 2,000 kilograms of ‘Bird Eye Chilli,’ locally known as ‘Dhanna Morich,’ to Visakhapatnam on Friday. This organic produce marks a milestone in the state’s efforts to promote organic farming.
Minister Nath highlighted the state’s previous exports of various organic agricultural and horticultural products, including pineapple, scented rice, ginger, turmeric, and pepper, to other states and abroad. However, this is the first time ‘Bird Eye Chilli’ is being exported. Despite the high demand, the recent devastating floods in Tripura caused some agricultural losses, impacting the supply.
“Our government is giving significant importance to organic farming,” said Minister Nath. “Earlier, organic farming was done only in 2,000 hectares, but now it has expanded to 20,000 hectares over the last five years. This year, we will add another 6,500 hectares to the existing land for organic farming.”
The number of farmers engaged in organic farming has also seen a substantial increase. “There were only 2,500 farmers involved in organic farming, and now the number has risen to 19,900,” Nath stated. “Similarly, the number of organic clusters has grown from 132 to 944. The number of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) has increased from four to 40, with 13 more to be added soon.”
During Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit, an MoU was signed with the Ministry of Cooperatives for exporting various farming products, including scented rice, medium grain aromatic folk rice, and 1,000 kilograms of black rice, outside the state. The Chobimura Organic Farmer Producer Company Limited in Gomati district is selling the 2 MTs of ‘Bird Eye Chilli’ to Sus Agri Development Private Limited in Bengaluru, supported by the International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCDNER).
Minister Nath also shared his experience of visiting the world-famous Organic Fair in Germany last year. “This time, our Secretary Apurba Roy will visit in February,” he added. The 2,000 kilograms of ‘Bird Eye Chilli’ have been procured from farmers in the Dhalai, Gomati, and North Tripura districts, costing Rs 11 lakh. “Our motive is huge production and marketing outside the state and abroad,” Nath concluded.
