The central government has given approval to the Tripura government to extend organic farming in 5,500 hectares more land, said Agriculture Minister Ratna Lal Nath.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat on Friday evening, Nath highlighting his experience in the recent tour to Germany in International Organic Trade fair and Switzerland  along with director of Agriculture department Sharadhindhu Das said with fresh approval of organic farming land, in next year total organic farming land of the state will increase at 25,661 hectors, which 8% of total farming land of the state.

He said that the state government has taken initiatives to increase the organic farming land at 20%. Nath said that India stands at fourth position in the world for organic farming and in the year 2018, Tripura had only 2000 hectares of land for organic farming and after the formation of the present government, it has increased to 18,161 hectares of lands under organic cultivation.

At present Tripura has a total of 20,161 hectares of organic farming land and the number of farmers involved with organic cultivation has increased at 19,841, which was only 2504, said Nath.

The state had organic cluster 132 before the year 2018, not it has increases to 1073 and before 2018, the  custom hiring centre was at zero, now it has increases to 38, said Nath and added that similarly, before 2018 the state does not have any organic collection centre, now it has stand at 14.

As per the cultivation of different fruits and crops, the state gets certification of 6088 hectare land in the first and second phase and in the third phase, the certification process for 14,000 more hectares of land is in process, said Nath.

He said that with increases in organic farming and its produce, the government has taken steps for its proper marketing process and the government has completed the branding, logo and packaging design of “Tripura Organic”.

The government has created market linkage system with various private farms for marketing of state’s organic produces in other parts of the country including Big-Basket of Kolkata, Mother Dairy of Delhi, Simfed, KCS Quality Inspection private limited of Hyderabad, Iqua of Bangalore and state’s Parameshwari food private limited etc.

Tripura in the financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24 have completed the marketing of 26 metric tons of scented rice, 62 metric tons of ginger, 14 metric tons of turmeric and 149 metric tons pineapples.