DoNER Ministry Secretary Srinivas Katikithala visited Kadamtala in North Tripura to review agar cultivation, plantations and processing activities, interact with growers and traders, and discuss measures to simplify agar trade, improve worker training and support the sector’s wider market opportunities.
Secretary of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Srinivas Katikithala visited Kadamtala in North Tripura on Thursday to review agar cultivation, plantation and processing activities and discuss measures to facilitate the trade for growers and traders.
Katikithala, accompanied by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of DoNER Angshuman Dey and other senior officials, visited the Uttar Phulbari agarwood village, plantation and processing unit in North Tripura district as part of the tour. The visit focused on understanding the existing agar cultivation and processing ecosystem and the issues faced by people involved in the sector.
During the visit, the DoNER Secretary inspected an agar plantation and observed the processing of different agar products, including agar chips and oil. He also interacted with workers and agar traders to understand their activities, production practices and business-related concerns.
Anfor Ali, secretary of the All Tripura Agar Association, briefed Katikithala about the various products manufactured from agar and the activities carried out by traders in the region. Members of the association also placed a three-point set of demands before the DoNER Ministry Secretary, seeking measures to support the growth of the agar industry in Tripura.
Among the demands raised by the association was the provision of low-interest loans of Rs 25 lakh for agar traders. The association also sought training facilities for workers through the organisation to improve their skills and strengthen processing activities.
Katikithala said he would discuss the issues and explore measures with the government to ensure that agar traders could conduct their businesses in a smooth and streamlined manner. His interaction with growers, workers and traders provided an opportunity to assess the challenges affecting the sector at the local level.
The DoNER Secretary later visited the Kadamtala agar market, where he reviewed trading activities associated with agar and interacted with people connected with the business.
According to the All Tripura Agar Association, agar produced in Tripura has demand beyond the domestic market. Traders from different parts of the country have previously visited the Kadamtala region in connection with agar trade. The association also said buyers and traders from international markets, including Dubai and Bangkok, had visited the region for business-related activities.
Agarwood and its processed products have emerged as an important livelihood activity for growers, processors and traders in parts of North Tripura. The visit by senior DoNER officials is expected to provide greater attention to the concerns of stakeholders involved in cultivation, processing and marketing.
Senior officials from the Forest Department, district administration and the concerned range office accompanied Katikithala during the visit. The participation of officials from the departments concerned enabled discussions on the cultivation, processing and trade-related aspects of the agar sector.
| Also Read: Biplab Deb donates blood during Seva Sankalp Abhiyan in Agartala |
The visit is part of efforts to understand local economic activities in the Northeast and identify measures that could help strengthen market access and business opportunities. The discussions in Kadamtala also highlighted the need for financial support, skill development and smoother trade mechanisms for agar growers and traders in Tripura.
