Tripura sends first 18.7 MT organic rice consignment to European market

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 3, 2026

Tripura on Wednesday flagged off an 18.7-metric-tonne consignment of organic aromatic rice for the European market, with Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath describing it as the first such consignment from the state.

The shipment, handled by Pratithi Organic Foods Pvt Ltd, consists of 1.2 MT of Kalikhasa rice, 1.5 MT of sticky rice, 6 MT of black rice and 10 MT of Harinarayan rice. Nath flagged off the consignment at a sensitisation programme on the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) at Pragna Bhaban in Agartala.

Nath said organic farming had been identified by the state government as an area with potential to support rural livelihoods. He said farmers in Tripura had traditionally used practices such as crop rotation, mixed farming and organic compost, with some farmer groups subsequently adopting certification-based organic production.

The minister said Tripura had also supplied organic products, including rice, ginger, scented lemon, bird’s eye chilli and Queen Pineapple, to markets in several parts of India and abroad. Domestic destinations included Delhi, Maharashtra, Bengaluru, Gujarat, West Bengal and Guwahati, while overseas markets included Germany, Dubai, Oman and Bangladesh, he said.

According to Nath, organic cultivation in the state covers crops such as aromatic and sticky rice, ginger, turmeric, bird’s eye chilli, mustard, sesame, foxtail millet and Queen and Kew varieties of pineapple.

He said 26,600 hectares had been brought under organic cultivation during the tenure of the present government. Of this, 14,411 hectares were registered, 2,002 hectares were under conversion and 10,189 hectares were under consideration.

Nath also said 53 Farmer Producer Companies had been formed and that farmers were being provided training and certification assistance under schemes such as the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).

APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev, Agriculture Secretary Apurba Roy, APEDA Secretary Dr Saswati Bose, Agriculture Director Dr Phani Bhusan Jamatia, TSOFDA Mission Director Rajib Debbarma and NABARD General Manager Tanushri Bhattacharya were among those present at the programme.

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