Tripura is making strides towards self-sufficiency in cultivating premium mango varieties, with the State Horticulture Research Centre (SHRC) establishing an exotic mango block. This initiative, led by Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath, aims to assess the performance of superior mango varieties under the state’s agro-climatic conditions. The exotic mango block includes varieties like Yellow Banana, Doc-Mai, Red Palmer, and others to evaluate their adaptability and yield potential in Tripura.
Inaugurating the Fruit and Vegetable Development Unit office building at SHRC, Nagicherra, Minister Nath highlighted the importance of this step. The exotic mango block, featuring high-value varieties such as Brunei King and Thai-1 Red, is crucial for future production and expansion of quality planting materials in the state. The SHRC, known for its research on various horticultural crops, plays a significant role in enhancing Tripura’s horticultural sector.
The Fruit Development Unit, covering nearly 15 hectares, is pivotal in introducing, evaluating, and popularizing indigenous and exotic fruit varieties suitable for Tripura. This unit also focuses on conserving and evaluating fruit germplasm to identify the most suitable varieties for the state. Additionally, the unit is dedicated to innovating modern technologies to boost productivity, quality, and sustainability in fruit cultivation, including winter strawberry cultivation for commercial feasibility studies.
The Vegetable Innovation Unit, situated within the Fruit Block of SHRC, aims to develop and disseminate advanced vegetable production technologies. It focuses on promoting off-season vegetable cultivation technologies, like summer cauliflower cultivation, to benefit small, marginal, and commercial farmers. Efforts are also directed towards conserving Tripura’s valuable indigenous germplasm, such as Surji chilli and Bird’s Eye chilli, for future crop improvement and variety development programs.
