| Tripura, being endowed with fertile soils, abundant moisture and sub-tropical climate offer immense scope for production of a wide variety of tropical and sub-tropical fruits and vegetables. However, the horticultural activities practiced in the State are mostly backyard farm activities, characterized by less efficiency, and low level of productivity, though it holds, promise for quantum leap both in terms of production growth and market expansion. It was, therefore, a felt need to exploit the horticulture development potential of the State in a scientific and systematic way, in a perspective time-frame to generate sustained levels of income and employment opportunities.
It was also contemplated in the document, “Approach to peoples plan in Tripura” that the production of fruits and vegetables should be doubled and to this end, all available land and water resources will be put to appropriate use. In pursuance to the above directive, a draft perspective plan for development of Horticulture in Tripura for the period 2002-2012 was prepared by the Directorate of Horticulture & Soil Conservation and was approved by the council of Ministers, Tripura on July 3, 2001.
The Strategies adopted for Preparation of this Plan are:
Identification of specific Horticultural crops with reference to sustained higher economic return.
Selection of areas for cultivation of such crops based on potential for production, access to the market, level of farmer’s skill and experience etc. preferably in cluster basis.
Provision of improved technology and production input.
Provision for post harvest management.
Provision for required storage and marketing support.
Provision for crop-specific training support to the farmers & extension functionaries.
Exploration of new fields viz. Floriculture, Mushroom cultivation, Tissue culture, Organic farming etc.
The Salient features of this plan are as follows:
· Identified Horticultural crops like orange, pineapple, mango, banana, litchi, jackfruit, papaya, cashew-nut, arecanut, coconut, black pepper, ginger, chilli (capsicum), betelvine, summer cabbage, summer cauliflower, seed tuber from TPS and horticultural crops like flowers, orchids, enthurium, vanilla and mushroom have been included.
· An area of 12,750 hectares (net) and 18,965 ha (gross) will be brought under the above crops during ten year plan period.
· Substantial increase in productivity level of identified crops will be attempted through adoption of improved technology and supply of quality planting materials.
· Increase in the production of fruits from the present level of 3.0 lakhs ton to 4.05 lakh tons and, vegetable from present level of 3.25 lakh tons to 4.38 lakh tons by the terminal year of the plan period.
· For transfer of technology to the farmers, crops specific on campus training of farmers and extension staff at the rate of 1500 Nos. and 250 Nos. per annum, respectively will be undertaken at HRC, Nagicherra, besides taking a group of 80 farmers per annum to area as of latest Horti developments outside State.
· Use of Bio-fertilizer & vermin compost will be popularizes and adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques will be encouraged.
· The additional requirement of cold storage is expected to develop under private sector/ co-operative sector for which necessary assistance is proposed to be made available under various schemes of NABARD & NCDC.
· The Food Park is proposed to be created by the Department of Commerce & Industries, Government of Tripura. Small scale processing of horti crops is also proposed to be encouraged through mobile processing unit as per programmes of Govt. of India. Besides the exising capacity of TSIC is proposed to be increased from the present level of 100 tons to 400 tons of finished products.
· For improving domestic as well as export market of fresh fruits, intervention of NERAMAC has already been started.
· Role of financial Institutions in extending necessary assistances in relevant cases has been well schemed.
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