Agartala, Jan 15: The state has successfully exported 2,000 kilograms of organic Bird Eye Chilli, known locally as Dhanna Morich, to Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This export, flagged off by Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath at Agartala Railway Station on Friday, marks a major milestone for the state’s growing organic farming sector.

Minister Nath highlighted that this was the first time Tripura has sent such a large shipment of Dhanna Morich, valued at Rs 11 lakh, sourced from farmers in Dhalai, Gomati, and North Tripura districts. Despite higher demand for the product, the export quantity was limited due to the damage caused by recent floods to crops in the state.

Since the new government took office in 2018, major efforts have been made to promote organic farming. Minister Nath shared that the area dedicated to organic farming has expanded from 2,000 hectares to 20,000 hectares in five years, with plans to add 6,500 more hectares this year. The number of farmers involved in organic farming has also grown substantially, from 2,500 to nearly 20,000.

In addition, Nath mentioned that during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit, an MoU was signed with the Ministry of Cooperatives for the export of other organic products, such as scented rice and black rice, to markets outside the state.