Tripura Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Monday, 12 October 2026, announced that the state government plans to develop 58 additional agricultural markets during the 2026-27 financial year to strengthen rural infrastructure, boost farm incomes, and facilitate easier trade in agricultural produce. The announcement came during the inauguration of a new two-storey rural market at Gajaria Market in South Tripura district, built at a cost of ₹4.51 crore.

PM Modi's Vision and Tripura's Role

Minister Nath invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's broader ambition of establishing India as a global grain storage hub, framing Tripura's market expansion as part of that national goal. He said the state government was simultaneously working toward making Tripura self-sufficient in food grain production. Nath underscored that agriculture remains the backbone of India's economy, and that national development would remain incomplete without sustained growth in the sector.

'About 70 per cent of the people in our state are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Therefore, achieving self-reliance in agriculture means taking the state forward on the path of self-reliance. The development of agricultural infrastructure is essential to achieve this goal,' Nath said at the event.

Scale of Market Infrastructure in Tripura

Nath said Tripura currently has 554 agricultural markets in total — comprising 84 primary wholesale markets (of which 21 are agricultural produce markets) and 470 primary or rural markets. Between 2018-19 and 2026-27, infrastructure development work was undertaken at 204 markets, with a total allocation of ₹461.83 crore. Of these, 87 projects have been completed, while work on the remaining 117 is still in progress.

A Sharp Contrast With the Previous Period

The scale of the current investment stands in sharp relief against the previous administration's record. During the five-year period from 2013 to 2017, only 71 market development projects were undertaken with a total allocation of approximately ₹20.27 crore — a fraction of the current outlay. The Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department is now implementing multiple schemes for both primary rural markets and regulated agricultural markets based on identified proposals.

Expected Impact on Farmers and Rural Economy

Nath said the expansion of rural market infrastructure would help farmers market their produce more efficiently, reduce dependence on middlemen, and contribute directly to rising agricultural incomes. He expressed hope that better facilities would benefit both local farmers and traders, ultimately strengthening the rural economy and advancing the state's self-reliance goals. This comes amid a broader national push to modernise agricultural supply chains and reduce post-harvest losses across states.