Agartala, June 28, 2025: The global demand for Tripura’s organic Queen Pineapple is on the rise, prompting the state government to initiate steps for ensuring year-round cultivation. Stressing on staggered planting as a key strategy, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath inaugurated the 5th CII Tripura Pineapple Festival at Pragna Bhavan Yesterday.
Organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the state’s Horticulture Department, the festival showcased various pineapple-based products by NERAMAC, FPOs, and other producers. The Agriculture Minister visited the stalls and interacted with farmers.
Speaking at the event, the Minister stated that Tripura currently cultivates fruits across 58,491 hectares, with over 11,000 hectares dedicated to Kew and Queen varieties of pineapple. The annual production stands at around 1.74 lakh metric tonnes. Kew pineapples are mainly grown in Dhalai, North Tripura, and Unakoti districts, while Queen pineapples are primarily cultivated in West Tripura and Sepahijala districts.
Highlighting the shift from past governance, he noted that under the previous regime, farmers were deprived of fair prices for their produce. In contrast, the current government has ensured better market access and pricing. To popularize Tripura’s pineapples, buyer-seller meets were organized in Delhi, Indore, and Varanasi.
Minister Nath emphasized that the government’s efforts have significantly boosted domestic and international exports of Queen Pineapple. Since its declaration as the State Fruit in 2018, over 73 metric tonnes have been exported to countries like Dubai, Oman, Qatar, and Bangladesh, while 15,000 metric tonnes were sold in various Indian states.
The GI (Geographical Indication) tag has further helped in marketing the Queen Pineapple. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also taken steps to promote it as a global brand, and the state is planning a ₹132 crore project to support this initiative.
The Minister highlighted the government’s consistent support to make farmers economically self-reliant, citing the vast agricultural development achieved over the last seven years. “The state government stands by the farmers and will continue to do so in the future,” he affirmed.
Other dignitaries addressing the event included Apurba Roy (Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare), Dr. Shailesh Kumar Yadav (Secretary, Industries & Commerce), Raj Ganguly (Senior Agribusiness Specialist, World Bank), Adwait Kulkarni (MD, Nansei Fruits & Vegetable Products), and Naresh Gajbiye (Co-founder, Grow India Import Export). Also present were Deepak Kumar Das (Director, Horticulture & Soil Conservation) and Phanibhushan Jamatia (Director, Agriculture).
Following the inauguration, a technical session was held where experts discussed production strategies, export challenges, and growth opportunities for Tripura’s pineapple industry.
