Agartala, June 27: In a significant boost to Tripura’s agricultural economy and a major step toward doubling farmer income, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Friday announced a ₹132-crore project to promote Tripura’s Queen Pineapple on the global stage.
The initiative, backed by the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), was unveiled during the 5th CII Tripura Pineapple Festival 2025 at Pragya Bhavan. The project aims to establish the Queen Pineapple as an international brand while enhancing cultivation practices and export potential.
Highlighting Tripura’s rich horticultural potential, Minister Nath said, “Pineapple is the third most important tropical fruit globally after banana and citrus. Our Queen and Kew varieties flourish in the state’s unique hilly and humid climate with minimal chemical usage.”
Currently, Tripura has 11,862 hectares under pineapple cultivation out of a total fruit-growing area of 58,491 hectares. The state produces about 1.74 lakh metric tonnes of pineapples annually. The Queen variety, which holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, yields about 12 tonnes per hectare, while the Kew variety delivers a higher productivity of 15.71 tonnes per hectare.
Of this output, around 10,000 metric tonnes is considered marketable surplus, suitable for both domestic and international markets.
The DoNER-backed initiative focuses on several key goals:
- Boosting production volumes
- Reducing post-harvest losses
- Promoting staggered year-round cultivation across 2,000 hectares
- Expanding exports through strategic marketing and digital tools
- Increasing farmer incomes through better market access and pricing
“The government is working to make Queen Pineapple a 365-day crop. Our farmers should truly benefit from their hard work—something that wasn’t prioritized before 2018,” Nath added.
The project is expected to unlock new global markets and transform Tripura’s Queen Pineapple into a symbol of organic excellence and rural prosperity.
