In a bid to double the income of farmers, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath today announced that the Union Ministry of DoNER would undertake a project worth Rs 132 crore to promote Queen Pineapple of Tripura as a global brand.
Minister Nath said this while addressing the 5th CII Tripura Pineapple Festival 2025 at Pragya Bhavan.
“In international trade, 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. These pineapples are golden yellow in appearance and have a distinct pleasant aroma upon ripening,” he said.
Minister Nath mentioned that the fruit cultivation area is 58,491 hectares, out of which 11,862 hectares are under pineapple cultivation, producing around 1,74,016 metric tonnes annually, with an average productivity of 14.6 tonnes per hectare—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. The Queen pineapple was granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag status, which highlights the unique quality and distinctiveness of the Queen variety grown in the state. Tripura produces approximately 1,74,016 metric tonnes of pineapples annually, showcasing the state's strong agricultural capacity. Out of this, around 10,000 metric tonnes constitute the marketable surplus that meets quality and size standards for sale and export. This surplus is actively distributed to both domestic and international markets,” said Minister Nath.
He informed that the DoNER Ministry has taken the initiative and advised Tripura to promote Queen Pineapple as a global brand through strategic marketing and the adoption of digital technology.
“The Directorate aims to achieve, through this project, an increase in local production, production volume, reduction in post-harvest loss, better staggering, growth in exports, and increase in viable farmers' income. Hence, the Ministry of DoNER, headed by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, is committing Rs 132 crore to globally promote the famous Queen Pineapple of Tripura. We are working to cultivate Queen Pineapple through a staggering process across 365 days, not just as a seasonal fruit, and have decided to start with 2,000 hectares,” said the Minister.
He said that before the BJP government came to power, farmers cultivating pineapple never reaped benefits.
“However, after the BJP formed the government, they have started reaping those benefits, and the government is helping them by facilitating exports to other states and countries” , said the Minister.