Centre allows Tripura to certify paddy seeds for Manipur, Mizoram: Minister

Agartala, Aug 20 (IANS) Tripura Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Wednesday that the Central government has authorised the state to certify paddy seeds for neighboring Mizoram and Manipur.

The Minister said that if the Tripura Agriculture Department gives certification to the paddy of Manipur and Mizoram, then their paddy would be truly certified.

After unveiling the statue of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan at the State Agriculture Research Station premises at Arundhuti Nagar, on the outskirts of the city, Nath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that by 2030, 72 per cent of edible oil must be produced within the country.

“Hence, the government is giving high priority on edible oil production. Because we don't need to import fish or milk, but we do need to import edible oil. That is why we are stressing on producing edible oil,” said the Minister.

He appreciated the Research Centre officials for installing the statue of Dr. M S Swaminathan.

“It is due to him (Swaminathan) that agriculture got a good shape in the country. He worked to make our country self-sufficient in food grains.

Dr. Swaminathan always emphasised that if agriculture fails, nothing else can be developed,” Nath said.

“If we can't make a good budget for agriculture, then all other budgets will fail,” he observed and said that the department is working to strengthen agriculture through integrated cultivation.

Noting that India now exports fish, eggs, rice, milk, sugar, and spices to several countries, the Minister said that at the Arundhuti Nagar centre, research is conducted on paddy, while at Nagicherra, research is carried out on all horticulture items.

“Tripura has 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.

He informed that in the state, among 58 blocks, 31 blocks are self-sufficient in food grain production. “We want the same in all districts and sub-divisions for self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors,” the Minister stated.

--IANS

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