Agartala: July 12: A vibrant one-day Pineapple Festival was held on Saturday at Geetanjali Auditorium Hall in Kumarghat, celebrating Tripura’s prized agricultural product—the Queen pineapple. Organized by the Directorate of Horticulture and Soil Conservation in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and co-powered by the Young Darlong Association, the event showcased the state’s agricultural achievements and farmer initiatives.
The festival was inaugurated by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath, alongside dignitaries including Minister Sudhangshu Das, MLAs Bhagaban Das and Binoy Bhusan Das, Unakoti Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati Amalendu Das, and senior officials such as Joint Secretary DONER Angshuman Dey and Unakoti DM Tamal Majumder.
In his address, Minister Nath highlighted the growing international demand for Tripura’s organically grown Queen pineapples, crediting the BJP-led double-engine government’s efforts for the fruit’s rising global recognition. He recalled important milestones such as the GI tag and the declaration of Queen pineapple as the State Fruit in 2018, which boosted both market value and farmer confidence.
Nath detailed that over 74,000 kani of land is dedicated to pineapple cultivation, producing nearly 1.74 lakh metric tons annually. He announced that 73 metric tons have been exported to countries including Dubai, Oman, Qatar, and Bangladesh, with 15,000 metric tons sent to other Indian states. A Rs 132 crore project is underway to further promote exports and branding.
To encourage farmers, Nath raised the prize money for progressive farmers to Rs 10,000, emphasizing the importance of motivation in agriculture.
A key highlight was the announcement of plans to revamp the Nalkata Processing Centre, aiming to improve post-harvest management and reduce farmers’ travel for selling produce.
The festival also celebrated community spirit, with the Young Darlong Association being commended for their voluntary blood donation drive, adding a humanitarian dimension to the event.
