Tripura to Develop “Seed Villages” to Help Farmers Increase Productivity

Agartala, February 24, 2020:

Tripura has come up with the idea of developing seed villages in different parts of the state and across the Northeast region in a bit to curb the growing problem of climate change and its impact on the productivity.

This ambitious move is to promote indigenous tuber crops, scientifically recognized as tropical tuber crops, so that farmers can easily access high yielding and climate resilient seeds for plantation.

ALSO READ: Tripura: CPM-Congress Joint Panel Sweeps Bar Elections

Senior scientist CTCRI (Central Tuber Crops Research Institute), said, “The tropical tuber crops are recognized as future generation crops. And, if cultivated in the calculated way, it can usher in a new dawn for the farmers. The attempt of developing seed villages in the state is a part of a greater plan of promoting these crops having huge potential of garnering multifaceted benefits.”

Narayanan who visited Tripura during a daylong workshop organized by ICAR Tripura also added that there was a huge potential of increasing farmers’ income through these crops in the Northeast states. “The CTCRI, in collaboration with ICAR North East, is trying to give the traditional food items a mainstream identity. In that way, the traditional food consumed in the North Eastern region will easily make inroads to the mainland India,” he observed.

ALSO READ: Assam: Last Golden Langur Inhabiting Guwahati's Umananda Dies

On being asked on the shifting cultivation system and its impact on such crops, his associate Dr. Murugesan said, “The good part of the tropical tuber crop is that it is climate resilient and never gets spoiled due to extreme weather conditions. In North East, where most of the communities are doing shifting cultivation, these products have a huge potential to get grown.”

He also said that tuber crops like Casaba were largely cultivated in Garo Hills for local consumption. Similarly, arrowroots, sweet potatoes yams and Tapioca are being cultivated in almost every parts of the Northeastern states by the indigenous farmers for direct consumption. But, the focus of project is to generate awareness among the people about the pros and cons of their produces and techniques of value addition, he pointed out.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.