Agartala, Oct 16 (IANS): As Tripura has abundant natural gas, a gas based fertilizer plant would be set up in the state to meet the fertilizer crisis in the northeastern states, union Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya said here Friday.

"The process is on to commission the gas based fertilizer plant in Tripura. The proposed fertilizer factory would meet the fertilizer shortages in the northeastern states, which are agriculture based states," Kundariya told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation signed an agreement in April 2013 with Rajasthan based Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals (CFCL) and the Tripura government for setting up a gas based urea fertilizer plant in the state.

The proposed fertilizer plant having 1.3 million tonne of urea capacity would utilize 2.4 million metric standard cubic metre per day of gas and entail an investment to the tune of Rs. 5,000 crore.

Kundariya said that the Narendra Modi government is keen to boost agriculture and solve the problems of farmers in the northeastern states.

"The central government is encouraging the farmers for organic farming. If the northeastern states improve its productivity in agriculture, it would not only help the region but also to the entire eastern India," he said.

Kundariya arrived here Friday on a three-day visit to Tripura. He visited the ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) complex at Lembuchara, 25 km north of Agartala and met scientists and officials.