600 kg GI-tagged Queen Pineapples of Tripura flies to Oman

Discussions are underway to export an additional 5 metric tonnes of pineapples to Dubai, with plans to send 30 MT to Holland in the near future.

Tripura Government has imported 600 kg of state’s Queen pineapples known for being juicy and sweet, which recently earned a geographical indication (GI) tag to Oman.

The consignment of Queen pineapples was flagged off by Agricultural and Farmer’s Welfare Minister, Ratan Lala Nath yesterday.

The pineapples, harvested by local farmers, were collected by a local Farmer Producer Organization – Twibungma Organic Producers Company and exported through Sikkim State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (SIMFED), North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) Limited, and the state horticulture department.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance the incomes of local farmers by providing them access to markets outside the state and country.

“By exporting our produce, we aim to secure better prices for our farmers, thereby boosting their livelihoods and promoting horticulture in the state and which was earlier ignored,” said Minister Nath.

He said that since the BJP-led government took office in Tripura in 2018, several consignments of Queen pineapples have been exported to Dubai, Bangladesh, and Qatar, in addition to other Indian states.

These efforts have been supported by buyer-seller meets aimed at popularising Tripura’s uniquely sweet and flavorful pineapples.

Over the past five years, Tripura has exported 12,551 MT of pineapples domestically and 33 MT internationally, significantly benefiting local farmers.

Discussions are underway to export an additional 5 metric tonnes of pineapples to Dubai, with plans to send 30 MT to Holland in the near future, said Minister Ratan Lal Nath.

The Minister said that the increased profitability of pineapple farming has led to a substantial rise in the area dedicated to pineapple cultivation in Tripura, which from 595 hectares increased to 5,654 hectares over the last five and a half years.

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