Agartala, June 29 (IANS) In a bid to boost the farmers’ income, in all 22 foreign improved varieties and 13 indigenous improved varieties of mango are being experimentally cultivated at the Horticulture and Research Centre, at Nagichara in West Tripura, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Sunday.

Addressing the Monsoon Mango Fiesta-2025 at Narikel Kunj in Gandatwisa under tribal inhabited Dhalai district, the minister said that since the BJP government came to power in 2018, around 706 hectares of new area have been brought under mango cultivation through various projects, and a target has been set to revive 18 hectares of old gardens this year at Gandatwisa.

He said that Tripura’s tropical climate, moderate temperature, abundant rainfall, and fertile soil are ideal for mango cultivation.

“Taking advantage of this opportunity, since 2018, emphasis has been given to fruit cultivation to make the farmers of the state economically self-reliant. Different varieties of mango are cultivated at the Horticulture and Research Centre, Nagichara. Thirteen indigenous improved varieties and 22 foreign improved varieties of mango, including Miyazaki, Haribhanga, Yellow Banana, Japanese All Time, Thai Himsagar, are being experimentally cultivated in the research complex,” said Minister Nath.

He said that currently, the area under fruit cultivation in the state is 58,491 hectares, and the production is 5,98,241 MT and out of this, the area under mango cultivation is 10,192 hectares, with a production of 51,368 MT. The average production of mango is 5.04 MT per hectare in Tripura.

Nath said that in order to become economically self-reliant, the tribal farmers of the Gandatwisa Agricultural Subdivision started mango cultivation in 2018.

Noting that greater importance was given to mango cultivation since 2018 onwards, he said that though average mango production in the state is 5.04 MT per hectare, the productivity in the tribal dominated Gandatwisa agricultural subdivision is 8 to 9 MT per hectare against the national average of 9.66 MT per hectare.

The annual net income from per-hectare areas is Rs 5 to 6 lakh, the minister said.

This year, farmers from the Gandatwisa agricultural subdivision have sold local mangoes at wholesale prices to traders in Agartala, Ambassa, Kumarghat and Dharmanagar at Rs 50 to Rs 70 per kg, and foreign varieties at Rs 150 to Rs 300 per kg.

He further informed that 10 Solar-Based Cool Chambers have been set up in different parts of the state, and this year, a new Solar-Based Cool Chamber would be established in Gondatwisa for the convenience of fruit farmers.

–IANS

sc/dan