Tripura, 24 Jan 2026: Tripura’s farmers are steadily moving towards self-reliance by commercially cultivating a wide variety of flowers and ornamental foliage. Emphasising that a state or nation cannot become self-reliant unless its farming community is self-reliant, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that agriculture and allied sectors form the backbone of the state’s economy.
The Minister made these remarks while inaugurating the four-day 40th Annual Flower and Ornamental Foliage Exhibition and Competition at Rabindra Kanan in Agartala on Friday. The exhibition has been organised by the Tripura Horticulture Society. A total of 196 farmers are participating in the exhibition, showcasing 723 exhibits. The exhibition will remain open daily from 2 pm to 9 pm and will continue till January 26.
In his address, Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that flower exhibitions bring peace and positivity to the mind, and therefore flower cultivation should be encouraged in every household. He noted that floriculture has now emerged as an agriculture-based industry, with many youths, farmers and women adopting flower cultivation as a profession.
Highlighting the growth of floriculture in the state, he said that earlier flowers were cultivated on 2,738 kani of land, which has now increased to 11,820 kani. The number of flower growers has also risen significantly from 2,190 earlier to 59,100 at present. He informed that the Central Government has taken the initiative to establish a Centre of Excellence for flower cultivation on 65 kani of land at Lembuchhara under an Indo-Dutch project. In addition, orchidarium and floriculture initiatives have been taken up over 400 square metres at Badharghat.
The Minister further said that in Lakshmibil of Bishalgarh subdivision, 300 families are engaged in flower cultivation across 130 kani of land. Recalling the past dependence on importing flowers from outside the state for various occasions, he said that farmers in Tripura are now cultivating gladiolus, chrysanthemum, sunflower, different varieties of marigold, anthurium and ornamental foliage, moving steadily towards self-sufficiency.
He added that earlier the state produced only 25 per cent of its flower requirement, which has now increased to 43 per cent. “We aim to further enhance production in the coming days,” he said.
As a special guest, Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department and President of the Tripura Horticulture Society, Apurba Roy, said the programme was organised to raise public awareness about floriculture. The welcome address was delivered by Sujit Das, Secretary of the Tripura Horticulture Society and Deputy Director of the Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation.
During the programme, the Agriculture Minister unveiled a souvenir of the Society. The event began with the rendition of Vande Mataram and was attended by Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumder, Director of the Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation Dr. Phanibhusan Jamatia, among others. A colourful cultural programme was also organised. The vote of thanks was delivered by Subrata Das, Assistant Director of the Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation.
