Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today said that the mainstay of progress in rural areas is agriculture, and the development of the state or the country is not possible without the development of agriculture.

The Chief Minister said this while inaugurating a one-day workshop on the Khet Bachao Abhiyan and natural farming at Berimura Higher Secondary School under Bamutia Block of Mohanpur Subdivision today.

He said that the Prime Minister of the country has taken various steps to increase the production of agricultural products and farmers’ income.

 “As a result, the country is becoming richer in the agricultural sector. Sixty percent of the country's total workforce is directly or indirectly involved in agricultural work. Without them, the development of the country cannot be imagined,” said Dr. Saha.

He said that the uncontrolled use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture to increase production is gradually creating problems. As a result, soil fertility is decreasing, and this is also affecting crop production. Due to the excessive use of fertilizers, groundwater is also getting polluted.

 “It is also affecting the balance of the environment. Keeping these aspects in mind, the Khet Bachao Abhiyan led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was launched on June 1 across the country and will continue till June 30. One of the slogans of this program is ‘Save the soil, save agriculture, and save the farmer’,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the main objective of this program is to promote natural farming by using fewer chemical fertilizers. This will help maintain the fertility of the land.

The Chief Minister further said that various government welfare schemes like Kisan Credit Card, Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, etc., are reaching farmers directly through the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department.

 “The benefits of these schemes are also being provided through the Good Governance Programme in every household. The more public awareness is created about these schemes, the more farmers will benefit. All these schemes will play an important role in fulfilling the target set by the Prime Minister to create a Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he said.

Expressing hope that farmers will move forward through science-based agricultural practices using high-quality seeds, the Chief Minister said that the government has given utmost importance to the agricultural sector.