Tripura Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury today announced that the state government will procure 18,000 metric tonnes of paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) during the current procurement season, beginning January 28.

Addressing the media, Chowdhury said that the paddy procurement drive will start from Dharmanagar in North Tripura district. He stated that the government purchases paddy from farmers twice every year through the Food, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, in line with its election promises.

“The MSP for paddy has been increased from Rs 23 to Rs 23.69 per kilogram. Since 2018, the state government has procured 2,44,303 metric tonnes of paddy, benefiting around 1.25 lakh farmers, with an expenditure of Rs 489.71 crore,” the minister said.

He added that farmers had faced severe difficulties in the past due to the lack of proper policies and support from the previous government. “Our government has introduced a new procurement policy, similar to other states in the country, to ensure fair prices and timely procurement for farmers,” Chowdhury said.

Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that the decision to procure paddy at MSP was taken with the objective of doubling farmers’ income. He highlighted that farmers’ average monthly income has increased significantly over the years.

“In the financial year 2015–16, farmers’ monthly income was around Rs 6,580, which has now increased to Rs 13,590,” Nath said.

He further stated that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Tripura is closely linked to agricultural productivity and that the state government is making continuous efforts for overall development under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Nath also noted that paddy production in Tripura has been steadily increasing compared to previous years, reflecting the positive impact of government initiatives in the agriculture sector.