Tripura introduces exotic fruits to boost farmer income, expands potato seed production

Tripura is taking a leap towards agricultural diversification with the introduction of exotic fruits such as mangosteen, rambutan, and avocado, Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced today.

Speaking at the Nagicherra Horticulture Research Centre in Agartala, the Minister said the initiative aims to enhance farmers’ income and create new opportunities for commercial cultivation. “Mangosteen is highly expensive, while avocado is beneficial for diabetic patients. These fruits were never cultivated in Tripura earlier, but now we have begun. We brought two mangosteen saplings from Karnataka and planted them here. Similarly, rambutan in both red and yellow varieties is already under trial cultivation. If these fruits adapt well to our environment, we will encourage farmers across the state to grow them,” Nath said.

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He further revealed plans to introduce kiwi, blueberry, and blackberry in the near future. Currently, 46 hectares of land in Tripura are under avocado cultivation.

Turning to potato cultivation, Nath highlighted efforts to reduce dependency on external states for seeds. Presently, 23,746 farmers cultivate potatoes on 7,622 hectares in Tripura. “Potatoes have huge demand both within and outside the state. Earlier, farmers had to buy seeds from Maharajganj Bazar in Agartala, West Bengal, and Punjab, or rely on costly True Potato Seeds from Nagicherra. To address this, we introduced a new seed production process through ARC in 2023–24 on 36 kani of land. The potatoes cultivated there were distributed to farmers,” he explained.

The move is part of Tripura’s broader strategy to strengthen agricultural self-reliance and promote high-value crops to improve farmer livelihoods.