Various agricultural development programmes in the state started from the 2nd Five Year Plan onwards although some preparatory efforts were initiated during the 1st Five Year Plan Period. Before 1950, the developmental activities of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and Fisheries were being looked after centrally by agriculture through a small set up headed by one Superintendent. Subsequently, Animal Husbandry and Fishery were separated from Agriculture.
A Director of Agriculture was first appointed during 1959. In 1963, expansion of Agriculture was done through constitution of 3 (three) separate zones namely Central, North and South with head quarter at Agartala, Dharmanagar and Udaipur respectively. Again in 1970, all the three zones were declared as district Office headed by Dy. Director of Agriculture. During the later part of 1973, for more effective implementation of the departmental activities at all level, 10 (Ten) Agri.
Sub-divisions were created headed by the one Superintendent of Agriculture in each Agri. Sub-Division and subsequently in 1983, 7 (Seven) more Agri. sub-Divisions were created. Thus the department was expanded from time to time.
Vision: Doubling the income of the farmers by 2022 through enhanced agricultural productivity so as to make agriculture a viable livelihood support.
Mission:
- Increasing productivity and realization of value through development of entrepreneurship.
- Bringing diversification towards high value crops.
- Promotion of organic farming.
- Increasing cropping intensity.
- Facilitating agricultural finance, loans and crop insurance.
- Post Harvest Management for increasing shelf life and value of the produce.
- Promotion of agri. business through secondary agriculture.
- Increasing resource use efficiency or savings in cost of production.
- Bringing improvements in real prices received by the farmers.
Strategy:
- Increase in area, production and productivity of different crops.
- Increase in Hybrid paddy and SRI area.
- Increase in per ha. use of NPK to 173 kg from existing 72 kg.
- 100% coverage of Soil Health Cards.
- Special thrusts on Farm Mechanization with additive subsidy for new machinery and micro irrigation.
- Assured Irrigation for post-monsoon cultivation.
- Shift into High Value commodities.
- Agriculture Skill Development.
- Agri-preneurship Development.
- Cooperative farming/Group cultivation/FPO/FPC formation.
- Involvement of LAMPS/PACs for input distribution.
- Linking regulated markets with e-NAM Platform.
- Adequate support for agricultural credit and crop insurance.
- Effective linkages with research institutes, ICAR, KVKs, Farmers group/ Farmers Club for technology generation and transfer.
Functions :
- Seed production & distribution.
- Procurement & distribution of fertilizers.
- Production & distribution of bio-fertilizers.
- Crop production.
- Farm mechanization.
- Training of farmers & extension functionaries.
- Crop area, production estimation.
- Cold storage.
- Agri. market development.
- Agri. research & education.
- Crop insurance.
- Farm credit & loan.