NABARD highlights severe supply chain gaps in Tripura agriculture and fisheries, urging urgent infrastructure investment. Report warns that lack of storage, cold chains, and financing could limit farmer incomes, sectoral growth, and sustainable rural economic development.
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has drawn attention to persistent infrastructure deficiencies in Tripura’s agricultural and fisheries sectors, cautioning that without immediate intervention, the state may struggle to fully realize its rural economic potential. In accordance with the statement of Kiran Bhowmik, PhD Scholar in the area of Agricultural Economics, in the Department of Economics in Tripura University said that the findings, presented in the State Focus Paper 2026–27, underline both progress and structural bottlenecks that demand urgent policy attention.
A key concern highlighted in the report is the acute shortage of modern storage and cold chain infrastructure across all districts. Despite Tripura’s increasing production of high-value crops such as pineapple and lemon, along with a steadily expanding fisheries sector, the absence of efficient post-harvest facilities continues to result in significant losses. Farmers and fish producers often resort to distress sales due to perishability and limited market access, undermining income stability.
The issue becomes more critical when viewed alongside the state’s fisheries performance. With over 85,800 metric tonnes of fish and prawn output recorded in 2023–24 and projections nearing 89,200 MT in 2024–25, the sector is clearly on a growth trajectory. However, nearly 9,000 hectares of available water area remain unutilized, pointing to gaps in infrastructure, access to credit, and technical outreach. Productivity levels also lag behind leading fish-producing states, raising questions about efficiency and adoption of modern aquaculture practices.
While initiatives such as cage culture and biofloc systems indicate progress, their limited and uneven adoption reflects deeper systemic challenges. Additionally, natural water bodies—contributing over 2,800 MT of fish—face risks from overexploitation and environmental degradation, emphasizing the need for sustainable management.
NABARD’s recommendations, including the promotion of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models and enhanced institutional financing through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), offer a pragmatic roadmap. Leveraging schemes like the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) could help bridge critical gaps. However, implementation remains the key challenge. Without coordinated efforts among government departments, financial institutions, and the private sector, these proposals risk remaining on paper.
The cooperative sector’s involvement, particularly through PACS, is a promising avenue for decentralized storage development. Yet, its success will depend on capacity building, governance reforms, and timely credit flow at the grassroots level.
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Tripura’s agriculture-dependent economy stands at a crucial juncture. While production indicators show encouraging trends, the lack of integrated supply chain infrastructure continues to restrict value realization and sectoral growth. A more cohesive strategy—combining infrastructure investment, technological adoption, ecological sustainability, and market reforms—will be essential to transform these challenges into opportunities.
Unless these structural gaps are addressed with urgency and accountability, the state’s ambition for sustainable and inclusive rural development may remain only partially fulfilled.
