Agartala, January 22:
In a major push towards wealth from waste, rural employment generation and sustainable development, a Common Facility Centre (CFC) for extraction of banana fibre and value-added byproducts was inaugurated at Lefunga in West Tripura on Thursday.
The centre was inaugurated by Anshuman Dey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), under the PM-DevINE (Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East) Scheme, implemented by the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR).
The project, titled “Value Chain Utilisation of Banana Pseudostem for Value-Added Products,” aims to transform banana pseudostems — usually discarded as agricultural waste after harvesting — into economically viable and environmentally friendly products, creating a zero-waste circular economy model.
Speaking at the inauguration, Joint Secretary Anshuman Dey said the initiative reflects the core objective of PM-DevINE by focusing on employment creation rather than limited income enhancement.
“This innovative project will establish 12 such centres across the Northeast at a total cost of about Rs 67 crore, with each centre requiring nearly Rs 5.4 crore. Every CFC will have around 20 machines, providing direct employment to at least 20 people, besides generating large indirect livelihood opportunities,” he said.
Dey added that the project would enable complete utilisation of the banana plant, which is abundantly available in the region but largely underutilised.
“Till now, banana stems were treated as waste. This project converts that waste into wealth by producing fibre, organic fertilizers and biogas, creating value addition at the village level,” Dey said.
Under the project, banana fibre will be used for handicrafts, textiles, paper products and high-value vegan leather, while the sap extracted from the pseudostem will be processed into liquid organic fertilizer and nutrients, supporting natural and organic farming practices. Organic waste will further be utilised for bio-gas, bio-compost and vermicompost, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
NECTAR Director General Dr Arun Kumar Sarma said the initiative is designed as a sustainable livelihood model for the Northeast, with special focus on empowering rural communities and Self-Help Groups, particularly women.
He informed that 12 CFCs are planned across the region, including two in Tripura, each focusing on banana fibre extraction, liquid fertilizer production and biogas generation.
In Tripura, known for its rich handicraft tradition, NECTAR is collaborating with scientific institutions including ICAR and CSIR-NIIST to develop customised machines and improved processing technologies.
Each liquid fertilizer unit is expected to produce nearly 10,000 litres every 21 days, which will support NECTAR’s organic farming initiative connecting around 25,000 farmers across the Northeast.
Dr Sarma said the project would also strengthen market linkages by connecting locally produced eco-friendly goods to national markets, including the growing demand for paper bags and sustainable alternatives to plastic.
“The vision is to create environment-friendly value addition at the grassroots, promote self-reliance, and turn agricultural waste into a significant economic driver for rural areas,” he added.
A memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed between NECTAR and the implementing agency, and soil testing kits, training materials and organic certificates were distributed among master trainers during the programme.
The inauguration was attended by Dr Usha Dixit, Scientist-F, AI Division, Department of Science and Technology; Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, North Eastern Hill University; and Dr Debasish Sen, Principal, College of Agriculture, Agartala, along with local farmers, students and community members.
The Lefunga CFC marks a significant step towards green industrialisation, rural employment creation and sustainable development in Tripura, showcasing how innovation and technology can convert agricultural waste into long-term economic opportunity.
