Tripura exported 73.15 MT of pineapple in seven years: Minister

Agartala, July 12 (IANS) Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath informed on Saturday that in the last seven years, the department has exported 73.15 metric tonnes (MT) of tasty pineapple to Dubai, Oman and Qatar.

The Agriculture Minister said that from 2018 to 2025, a total of 73.15 MT of pineapple was exported to Dubai, Oman, and Qatar, and in addition, 4.40 MT of jackfruit were exported to America, and 30 MT of ginger and 17 MT of betel leaf were exported to Bangladesh.

The Minister said that to boost the income of pineapple cultivators, the department is planning to set up a new fruit processing centre under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in Nalkata, in Dhalai district.

While addressing the Pineapple Festival at Kumarghat in Unakoti District, Nath said that the state government is working to obtain the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ‘Sidol Shutki’ (fermented fish), Sabari banana and several other products.

“After the BJP government came to power in 2018, we declared Queen pineapple as the state fruit. Queen variety pineapple already has a GI tag; nobody can copy it. Our main aim is to expand the production and market of pineapple. We need to produce more, and for that, such events like the Pineapple Festival are being organised. We have also recently organised buyers and sellers meetings on organic products,” he said.

The Minister said that the first-ever Organic Buyer-Seller meet was held earlier this week for various products like pineapple, bird's eye chilli, turmeric and ginger, all of which are organic.

He stated that in the state, a huge area of land is used for fruit cultivation, the majority of which is under pineapple cultivation.

Tripura is renowned for its Queen and Kew varieties of pineapple, both of which flourish in the state's unique hilly and humid climate with minimal chemical intervention. These pineapples are golden yellow in appearance and have a distinct, pleasant aroma upon ripening, said Nath.

“After our government came to power, the price of a pineapple was around Rs 8 to Rs 9. Now, it has increased to around Rs 40 or more. Our main aim is to help farmers and increase their income. The Union DoNER Ministry is working to make Queen pineapple a global brand. We have held meetings with Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia twice and are planning to undertake a scheme worth Rs 132 crore,” said the Minister.

He said that the government’s main aim is to strengthen the farmers’ income so that the economy of our state grows.

The Minister, accompanied by officials and others, also visited a pineapple processing centre in Kumarghat.

--IANS

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