Tripura targets 25,200 Hectares for Hybrid rice cultivation in 2025–26: Agriculture Minister

In a bid to boost rice production and ensure food security, the Tripura Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department has set an ambitious target of 25,200 hectares for hybrid rice cultivation during the 2025–26 Kharif season.

Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced the target today while launching a symbolic paddy planting drive at Simna Assembly Constituency to encourage farmers and the youth to embrace modern agricultural techniques.

The Minister said that in 2024–25, hybrid rice was cultivated over 35,000 hectares—8,630 hectares during the Kharif season and 26,370 hectares in the Rabi season.

He further informed that paddy is cultivated annually across 15 lakh kani of land in the state, while around 30 lakh kani is used for horticultural crops. Currently, Aman paddy is cultivated in 9.01 lakh kani, Boro paddy in 3.94 lakh kani, and jhum cultivation is practiced on approximately 85,000 kani of land.

Highlighting regional achievements, Nath stated that 30 out of the state’s 58 blocks and three districts—South Tripura, Gomati, and Sepahijala—have attained self-sufficiency in food production.

“To address the remaining gap, we are promoting the SRI (System of Rice Intensification) method alongside hybrid rice cultivation,” Nath said. “Farmers should transplant paddy seedlings aged not more than 20 days. With SRI, yields can increase by up to 80 kg per kani.”

According to the Minister, in 2017–18, the state had a rice shortfall of 56,000 MT, with production at 7.70 lakh MT against a demand of 8.26 lakh MT for a population of 39.75 lakh. In 2024–25, while the demand has risen to 8.77 lakh MT with a population of 42.22 lakh, the production has reached 8.30 lakh MT—narrowing the deficit to around 47,000 MT.

To bridge this gap, the department is offering financial support and input assistance—including fertilizers—to farmers adopting hybrid rice cultivation as per government norms.

“Our objective is to raise farmers’ incomes,” Nath said. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisions India as a global hub for food grain storage and export. No other country can compete with India in rice export.”

He added that agriculture, fisheries, and allied sectors offer immense economic opportunities. “I’ve planted paddy myself today to inspire our farmers and youth. There is potential to earn lakhs in these sectors,” he said.