Agartala: The Ministry of Agriculture has given Tripura the authorisation to certify paddy seeds for neighbouring states such as Mizoram and Manipur.
The announcement was made by the Tripura Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, on Wednesday in Agartala. With this, Tripura is set to play a larger role in supporting seed supply chains in the Northeast.
He said Tripura has been entrusted with the certification of newly developed varieties in neighbouring states, along with increasing the production and facilitation of exports.
According to Ratan Lal Nath, certified seeds are the backbone of agricultural productivity. When farmers receive authentic and high-germination seeds, the risk of crop failure reduces significantly. Certification guarantees that the seeds meet standards of purity, moisture content, and disease resistance.
He explained that farmers in Manipur and Mizoram often face challenges with seed authenticity, which leads to lower yields. With Tripura authorized as a certification hub, the chances of counterfeit seeds entering the supply chain will be minimized.
Paying tribute to the agriculture scientist, Dr MS Swaminathan, Nath said, “Though late, I want to convey my thanks to the Research Centre for installing the statue of Dr Swaminathan. It is due to him that agriculture has taken a good shape in the country today. Dr Swaminathan worked to make our country self-sufficient in food grains.”
“We don’t need to import fish or milk, but we do need to import edible oil, which we want to become self-sufficient in. If we can’t make a good budget for agriculture, then all other budgets will fail. Our government is working to strengthen agriculture through Integrated Cultivation,” Nath pointed out.
“We have two research centres. I want to tell all the farmers to get in touch with the agriculture centres in the state so that we can work on modern agriculture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed the path shown by Dr Swaminathan, and because of that, India is second in paddy production, and we also export it. Credit goes to the farmers,” said the Minister.
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Among 58 blocks in Tripura, 31 blocks have already become self-sufficient in food grain production.
For farmers in Manipur and Mizoram, the availability of certified seeds from Tripura means reduced delays and better adaptation of seed varieties suited to their soil and climate. This step is expected to stabilize production and support food security in the two states.
