Commercial Horticulture Opportunities in Tripura

State Profile of Tripura

The state has tropical climate with average rainfall of 2,200 mm, extending over a period of 8 months in a year. Favorable agro-climate coupled with availability of tilla land in plenty offers immense potentiality for cultivation of various tropical and sub-tropical fruits, nuts, spices and vegetables in Tripura. In fact, Orange, Pineapple (Queen and Kew), Cashewnut and Jack fruit, Lime/Lemon grown in Tripura are already well known for their excellent quality. Since 2018 pineapple and lemon are being exported to different countries. Other important Horticulture crops which have huge business opportunity and untapped commercially are Dragon Fruits and Mushroom. Horticulture development has been considered to be a major activity for economic betterment of farming community as well as employment generation.

Total area under horticulture in the state is 121160.00 ha with a production of 1458245.00 MT Fruits, Vegetables and Spices. Additional 1370 Ha area under Fruits, 1142.6 Ha under Arecanut, 5050 Ha under Vegetables and 200 Ha under open field flower have been brought under cultivation during 2019-20 benefiting nearly 30000 farmers in the state.

The production processing and commercialization of Mushrooms and Dragon Fruits are at very nascent stage in Tripura and also the processing and marketing of these horticulture crops are still untapped and underutilized. There around only countable of Mushroom with total production of 300 MT Dragon fruit growers and only 1800 growers cultivated annually.

Dragon fruit, although a tropical plant, its cultivation requires a temperature between 20 to 30 degree Celsius, and filtered sunlight. In case of high sunlight areas, one needs to grow them under shade. However, as Tripura's climate falls under this range and is an area with moderate to low sunlight, growing dragon fruit plants is ideal. There is huge demand of this fruit the national and international markets due to its nutritional benefits, medicinal values, and below advantages:

• Dragon Trees can be grown on wide range of soils across both Tropical and Sub Tropical Regions.
• Dragon plant requires extremely less water and maintenance compared to other crops
• Dragon Tree Cutting can be further used for propagation and resale.
• It can suitable for most of Indian Climatic Zones and States.
• Growers can expect return on investments in as less as 2 – 3 years depending on the variety
• It has huge export potential to the international markets.

Mushroom is the other commercially viable and important crop given its health benefits, medicinal values, nutritional values, includes high protein, vitamin and other minerals, low calorie & sugar, and most important demand in National and International Market. This crop has huge untapped market and opportunities underlying; given the production and processing level in the state of Tripura. It can generate much higher income for the growers if taken up commercially. The production on mushroom is very suitable given the soil and climatic condition of Tripura.

The Directorate of Horticulture & Soil Conservation, Tripura with the assistance available under Horticulture Technology Mission and a minimum allocation of fund under State Plan, is therefore, laying emphasis on various programmes for development of horticulture in the state. The Mission is based on "End to End Approach" taking into account the entire gamut of horticulture development with all backward and forward linkages in a holistic manner. The Technology Mission strives to address the issues related technology and technological development, demonstration of technologies, production of quality planting materials, organic farming, efficient water management, Post harvest Management, Food Processing plants and others. In addition, cultivators are being trained up on modern scientific technical know-how for cultivation of horticulture crops.

Strength of Tripura:-

• Total productions may be increased by increasing productivity.
• More area may be brought under the cultivation of the crop as per demand
• Introduction of high yielding varieties and improved cultivars may also increase the volume of production of raw materials, as per demand of the industry to be fed with.
• Tripura acts as a gateway between Northeast India and Bangladesh & other South East Asian neighbouring countries. This offers immense potential for international trade.

Opportunities:-

• Crop production is organic by default widening market sizes either in fresh or processed form.
• Encourage growers to increase area, yield and production of Dragon Fruits and Mushroom.
• Encourage the FPOs, Rural Entrepreneurs and MSME units to setup processing & packaging units for these crops
• Explore the untapped national and international markets and business opportunity in production, processing, branding, marketing and exports of Dragon Fruits and Mushroom from Tripura
• Marketable surplus increased due to cease in illegal trade with Bangladesh following border- fencing.
• Commercially taking up the production, processing, market linkage and exports of these crops
• Connect with the other national markets with available train, road and air connectivity.
• Development of other support infrastructure like pack house, cold stores, warehouses and export promotion zone specifically for Dragon Fruits and Mushrooms.

Possibilities:-

• Setting-up of post harvest infrastructures in the state availing financial assistance under CSS Schemes and State Schemes.
• Encouraging the exports of Dragon Fruits and Mushroom with International Standards
• Setting up of food processing units are good possibilities