Agartala, Nov 27 (IANS) The Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department of the Tripura government has undertaken a series of initiatives to expand orange cultivation into new areas and enhance production in the mountainous regions, along with boosting floriculture across the state, a Minister said here on Thursday.

Agriculture, Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister Ratan Lal Nath while inaugurating the state level orange festival 2025 at the Badharghat Progeny Orchard on the outskirts of Agartala, said that agriculture is the foundation of the state and the country.

As per the advice of the expert team, the Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation has taken steps to expand new areas of orange cultivation and increase production in the hilly areas of Baramura in West Tripura, Khowai and Gomati districts, and Sakhan Hills in Dhalai district, he said.

Nath added: “Around 46 per cent of GDP contribution comes from farmers. The rest comes from tourism, the service sector, etc. There was a time when people started ignoring agriculture, but now they have started it again.”

One farmer from Jirania sells Malta produced on his own land at Rs 100 per piece.

Orange is also cultivated in Jirania, Jampui Hills adjoining Mizoram, Sakhang, and Killa.

Nath told that after the BJP government came to power, the state government has been helping farmers in every possible way.

“We want employment in every home. Earlier, there were no such steps to cultivate onions. But our agriculture scientists have proved that Tripura can also cultivate a good amount of onion. We have also started cultivating Apical Rooted Cutting potato, which has heavy demand among farmers,” he added.

This year’s orange festival started in Badharghat, near Agartala.

Two times the festival was held in Killa in Gomati district.

“We also have a flower garden which was once full of forest. After our government came, we started cultivating flowers for 12 months. More than 100 orange farmers have come here. Our main aim is to help the farmers,” the Minister said.

The Minister also told that at present, the area under orange cultivation in the state is 3,846 hectares and the production is 16,538 MT per year, while the average production of orange in the state is 4,300 kg per hectare.

He said that during 2018-19 to 2025–26, 353 hectares of new area have been brought under orange cultivation with various projects.

Out of this, 80 hectares have been brought under orange cultivation this year.

From 2018-19 to 2025-26, 228 hectares of old orchards have been revived, spending Rs 2,000 per hectare.

Of this, 31 hectares of old orchards have been revived this year.

–IANS

sc/khz