RAD Project Launched in Champamura: 25 Farmers Receive Goats to Boost Livelihoods under Rainfed Area Development Scheme
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 23, 2025
In a significant move towards sustainable agricultural development and natural resource conservation, an area-based initiative under the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme has been launched in Champamura village under the Bishalgarh Agricultural Sector in Tripura.
This integrated agricultural project is designed to promote a holistic farming model that combines various agricultural components including natural farming, crop cultivation, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and agroforestry. The project aims to generate income through agriculture-based livelihood activities and value addition, thereby improving the economic well-being of rural communities.
Key features of the project include soil testing and soil health card-based nutrient management, land development, conservation of resources, and promotion of climate-resilient crop choices suited to the local agro-climatic conditions. A cluster-based approach covering a minimum of 100 hectares of rainfed land, whether contiguous or non-contiguous, has been adopted to ensure measurable impact, foster community participation, and enable the replication of the model in other regions in the future.
Under the convergence program for supplementary support, critical resource conservation activities are being implemented. To justify proposed interventions, RAD clusters have undergone soil analysis, mapping, and soil health card surveys. A minimum of 25% of the cluster’s farmland will be brought under on-farm water management. Recommendations from ICAR’s contingency plans and successful outcomes from earlier pilot initiatives have also been incorporated into the integrated planning framework.
The project also encourages the development of community-owned assets such as grain banks, organic biomass resource centers (BRCs), fodder banks, and group marketing networks to strengthen local agricultural infrastructure.
As part of this initiative, for the first time in Champamura village, 25 selected farmers were provided with goat kids under the RAD-NMSA (National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture) program. The objective is to offer poor and marginal farmers an opportunity to become economically self-reliant.
The government has sanctioned Rs.6,25,000 for purchasing the goats (Rs. 25,000 × 25 goats) and an additional Rs. 1,25,000 (Rs. 5,000 × 25 farmers) for buying fodder. In total, Rs. 7,50,000 has been allocated for the households under the scheme, which includes financial support as well as technical training for goat rearing.
The distribution program was graced by the presence of several dignitaries, including: MLA Smt. Antara Dev Sarkar, Sepahijala Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Smt. Supriya Das Dutta, Chairperson of Bishalgarh Panchayat Samiti, Smt. Atasi Das, Village Pradhan Shri Shankar Pal, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Shri Bimal Das, Agriculture Supervisor, Shri Himanish Laskar, Assistant Director, Smt. Lipi Das, From the Animal Resource Department, Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Sardamani, Agriculture Sector Officer, Shri Prabir Dutta and other local representatives and officials.
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