Ratan Lal Nath, the minister of agriculture and farmers’ welfare for Tripura, credited the state’s “remarkable progress” in potato growing to the use of Apical Rooted Cutting (ARC) technique. On the state assembly floor, the minister also gave Chief Minister Manik Saha two packages of ‘Kali-Khasha’ rice, millet-based crackers, and a basket of locally grown potatoes. All members of the house, including lawmakers from Congress, CPIM, TIPRA Motha Party, and IPFT, also received these items.
Since the introduction of potatoes by European traders in the 17th century, potatoes have been grown in Tripura. The state did, however, embrace popular types such modern Lalit, Kufri Jyoti, and Kufri Sindhuri during the first significant growth, which took place between 1940 and 1947. The average yield per kani at the time was 1,500 kg. Tripura made significant progress in 1988–1989 with the introduction of True Potato Seed (TPS) technology, which was created at the State Horticulture Research Station in Nagicherra and raised yields to 4,000 kg per kani.
Tripura has implemented ‘Better Seed Production of Potato Through Apical Rooted Cutting (ARC) Technology’ under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. The project, which began in 2022 and will continue till 2025, involved 104 farmers across five production zones. The government is committed to promoting certified seed production for better returns for farmers, with an estimated yield of 6,000 kg per kani.
