AGARTALA, March 18 (TIWN): After spoiling Tripura's environment, fertile soil and agriculture business; at last Minister Badal Choudhury is trying to draw the farmers' attention more in agriculture and cultivation, rather than rubber productions. Under Forest Minister Naresh Jamatia, Tripura farmer ran so much after rubber, that they transformed their valuable cultivated lands into poisonous rubber-gardens, resulting massive down in agriculture to boost rubber business. But after 2 / 3 yrs of profit, when the rubber gardens were maturing with the highest profits, then Tripura's rubber demand radically falls, due to its quality in compare to Malaysia's quality as well as price.In 2014-15 FY rubber land had occupied 2999.38 hectors and in 2015-16 it expanded more with 3322.67 hector lands; but it sharply falls down in 2016-17 with 758.13 hectors.Presently Tripura's 7.9 % lands has been occupied by rubber.

Tripura Govt in last few FYs had valued rubber more than bamboo and agriculture, resulted in this massive loss to the farmers. Especially the tribal farmers faced the losses mostly as survey says that once a land is occupied by rubber garden, then for 2 dcades no other cultivation is possible. and due to tax free business; under Forest Minister Naresh Jamatia's misguiding, a depressed economy was experienced by the tribal farmers since last two years.

Report says that the forest minister himself has many rubber gardens and at Killa Jamatia was once titled as 'the Rubber King' by opposition Congress.

Excess Rubber Plantations are blamed for many negative affects on Tripura - its climate, drying up of rivers, soil erosion, diseases, destruction of eco system, natural habitats  etc. Then the farmers faced massive losses and now its Tripura Govt asking the farmers to focus on agriculture.

Thus although over the last one decade rubber plantation in Tripura had evolved as a 'hope' of economic growth, but now it has devastated the farmers, spoiling the soil quality for many years due to misguiding of Tripura forest dept. initiating excessive prices of vegetable and other food items.

Earlier, atleast tribal people cultivated vegetables from ADCs and Hills were less poisonous, but with their interest vapours from cultivation due to rubber-production, most vegetable items are poisnous in the market now, mixed with full of pesticides selling with high profits and with high price.