Tripura | August 7, 2025: In a significant step toward strengthening rural economies and promoting sustainable agriculture, farmers in Tripura’s Champamura village have successfully cultivated Kaon (millet rice) without using chemical fertilizers or irrigation. This has been made possible under the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) scheme of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), jointly implemented by the Central and State Governments.
The RAD project, currently underway across several Gram Panchayats under the Bishalgarh Agricultural Subdivision, aims to encourage natural farming practices, integrated farming systems, and supplementary income generation for farmers and livestock rearers, particularly in rain-dependent regions.
According to Bishalgarh Agriculture Sector Officer Prabir Dutta, this year the department adopted a cluster-based modelover 100 hectares of land, targeting villages with contiguous rainfed areas. The idea is to encourage community participation and replicate the model on a larger scale in the future. The integrated initiative includes natural farming, crop diversification, horticulture, livestock and fishery development, afforestation, market linkage, and income-generating activities.
As part of the effort, farmers Sanjit Banik, Manik Debnath, and Biswajit Natra from Champamura have cultivated millet over 3 hectares of land without any irrigation or chemical inputs. They received financial assistance of ₹15,000 per hectare from the Agriculture Department and expressed optimism about turning a profit once the harvest is sold.
Agricultural Supervisor Himanish Laskar confirmed that the millet cultivation — despite the absence of water and chemical inputs — has brought smiles to farmers’ faces in rain-dependent areas. “Low input, low labor, and high impact — that’s the model we’re working towards,” he added.
In addition, a farmer from nearby Madhya Laxmibil Gram Panchayat, who has been cultivating millets for the past three years, was provided with a millet de-husking machine worth ₹75,000 this financial year. All millet farmers in the region will now be able to de-husk their harvests free of charge.
To support post-harvest activities, Bishalgarh Natural Farmer Producer Company has been helping local farmers market their produce effectively.
Beyond crop cultivation, the RAD scheme also encourages livestock farming. In July, 25 farmers from Champamuraeach received goats worth ₹30,000 (male and female) to support alternate income generation. Similar support was extended to 25 farmers in Purathal Rajnagar and NC Nagar.
Villagers like Sabita Laskar and Sabitri Bhowmik shared their excitement, saying, “Goats grow quickly, and breeding them will soon bring financial stability.”
With its focus on natural farming, resource conservation, and integrated rural development, the Rainfed Area Development under NMSA has brought hope to villages like Champamura, Madhya Laxmibil, Purathal Rajnagar, and NC Nagar. For farmers like Sanjit, Manik, Biswajit, Sabita, and Sabitri, the scheme is paving a new path toward socio-economic empowerment.
(By Kakoli Bhowmik, ICA tripura)
