Tripura ramps up paddy procurement, claims major gains for over 1.17 lakh farmers

Tripura’s Food and Public Distribution Minister Sushanta Chowdhury has said the state’s farmers are finally seeing returns from government support that was absent for decades. Since 2018, when the BJP came to power, the government has procured over 2.25 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, benefitting more than 1.17 lakh farmers and transferring Rs 446 crore directly into their accounts.

According to Chowdhury, this season’s procurement began on July 26 after a brief delay due to technical issues. The process is currently active in 10 centres and will gradually expand to 31 across the state.

“From today, in 31 paddy procurement centres, the purchasing of paddy has started. Today, procurement is underway at 10 locations and will expand step by step,” he said.

The minister accused the previous Left Front government of neglecting the agricultural sector. He claimed that during its tenure, no structured effort was made to directly procure paddy from farmers, forcing many into distress and disillusionment.

“They used to protest with flags. As we had promised to procure paddy, we decided this in our very first Cabinet meeting,” Chowdhury said.

The BJP-led government fixed the paddy procurement price at Rs 23 per kg this year, up from Rs 17.50 in 2018. This has led to increased earnings for farmers, with some reportedly making an additional Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh this season.

“The then Left Front government never wanted to help farmers,” Chowdhury alleged. “Every year, both inside and outside the Assembly, we have said that as long as this government is in power, paddy procurement will continue. We can’t stop it.”

The government has set a target of procuring 30,000 MT of paddy this season.

Chowdhury stressed that the move is not just about numbers but about restoring confidence in farming and showing that the state stands behind its farmers.