Agartala, Apr 24, 2023, TRIPURA TIMES Desk

Agartala, April 24: In a bid to boost the agriculture and horticulture sector of the state, the Tripura government has decided to increase the daily wages for the seasonal laborers of the state.

Addressing a press conference here in his chamber of the secretariat on Monday, the state agriculture minister Ratan Lal Nath said, “The daily wages of all seasonal laborers employed under the department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare across the state has been increased to Rs 385 from now.”

Presently there are a total of 1321 seasonal laborers in the agriculture and horticulture department. Out of these, 715 are working under Agriculture Department and 606 workers under Horticulture Department, he said, adding that the hike in wages has been made effective from April 1 this year.

He expressed hope that the working-class people will be benefited with the increase in their wages.

On the other hand, the minister informed that presently there is a demand of 9,37,000 MTs of food grains in the state whereas the production of food grains in the state stands at 8,71,000 MTs

He said that the production of food grains was 8,50,000 MTs during the financial year of 2017-18. During the last five years, various agricultural products such as tamarind, wood apple, jackfruit, ginger, betel leaf, lemon etc. have been exported outside the state and foreign countries under the initiative of the department, through which the state could earn Rs.18 crore from foreign.