Tripura agriculture minister Ratan Lal Nath with Queen variety of pineapple in Agartala on Friday.
Credit: Tripura government.
Guwahati: Exhilarated over good response in the markets in Dubai and Holland, the Tripura government has set target for branding the GI-tagged Queen variety of pineapples for global fruit markets.
The state agriculture minister Ratan Lal Nath said branding and strategic marketing will be done as part of a Rs 132 crore project promised by the Union Ministry of Department of Northeastern Region (DONER).
The golden yellow queen variety of pineapples, which has gained popularity in the national markets for its unique aroma and soft juicy taste, was accorded GI tag in 2023.
"Globally pineapple is the third most important tropical fruit after banana and citrus. Tripura is renowned for its Queen and Kew pineapple varieties, both of which flourish in the state's unique hilly and humid climate with minimal chemical intervention.
"Tripura produces approximately 1,74,016 metric tonnes of pineapples annually. Out of this, around 10,000 metric tonnes constitute the marketable surplus that meets quality and size standards for sale and export," Nath said.
Year-long cultivation
The minister said the agriculture department was preparing to cultivate the Queen pineapples round the year and not just as a seasonal fruit. "We have decided to start the cultivation in 2,000 hectares initially,” he said.
Under the DONER ministry project, the department plans to increase production, reduce post-harvest loss, growth in exports, and increase in viable farmers' income.
The average production of the pineapples in the state is 14.6 tonnes per hectare, which is slightly below the national average of 17 tonnes per hectare.
“The organic Queen pineapple yields about 12 tonnes per hectare, while the Kew variety has a higher productivity of 15.71 tonnes per hectare. We want to increase productivity through scientific intervention and tie with organisations for branding in the global markets and trade shows," Nath said.
The state government earlier exported the pineapples to Dubai, Holland and some other markets.