An orange-laden tree in the Tripura hills

Agartala, Oct. 25: It’s orange season again in Tripura’s “land of eternal spring”, the Jampui Hills. And to celebrate the prospect of a bountiful harvest after three relatively unproductive years, the Tripura government has lined up a festival that promises to encapsulate the many facets of the area, its people and the delectable citrus fruit it is synonymous with.

State tourism minister Jiten Chowdhury told The Telegraph that the government was considering a host of special privileges for tourists who visit Jampui during the three-day “orange festival”, starting November 13.

A novelty for visitors will be the opportunity to experience tribal life. The tourism department is making arrangements for tourists to stay with Mizo families, who constitute the bulk of the population in Jampui, as “paying guests”. Those preferring other arrangements can opt for Eden, a hilltop lodge.

Apart from the cultural festival, which will showcase songs and dances of all communities of the state, the highlight of the trip is expected to be the sight of orange orchards in full bloom.

After three years of decline in production in seven of the 10 Mizo-inhabited villages of Jampui and Sakhan, things are looking up this year. The 30-km serpentine road from the subdivisional headquarters of Kanchanpur to Jampui is again dotted with orange orchards laden with fruit.

Orange cultivation in Jampui, which began in 1901, is a lucrative business. Average earnings per orchard can shoot up to Rs 4 lakh per year.

Worried over the decline in production, the horticulture department had last year invited a team of experts from the Nagpur-based National Orange Research Centre (NORC).

The team, led by agricultural scientist Dhyan Singh, surveyed the area and made suggestions to improve production.