Some 300 pineapple farmers in Meghalaya have seen their incomes double thanks to state government initiatives to boost the supply and sale of the fruit, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said today in New Delhi.
She was attending the third day of the 2nd Pineapple Festival at Dilli Haat. Thousands of visitors thronged the stalls to partake of Meghalaya’s famous pineapples, a press release stated.
The minister said that the state government has invested Rs 5.63 crore in infrastructure and Rs 1.39 crore in working capital, with Rs 78 lakh allocated specifically for pineapples until 2023. These efforts have resulted in tremendous achievements, she added, including the export of 4.36 tonnes of pineapples to Abu Dhabi, a domestic market reach of close to 100 tonnes and the successful export of 289 tonnes to the European Union.
These initiatives have increased farmers’ income up to 122 percent (i.e. more than double), directly impacting more than 300 farmers and indirectly benefiting more than 5,000 fruit-growers of Meghalaya, the press release asserted.
The government has initiated other mission-mode interventions to double farmers’ incomes through promotion of high-value commercial crops, such as turmeric, ginger, mushrooms, Khasi mandarin, honey, etc.
“As we look ahead, we are committed to creating a name for the Meghalaya pineapples in the global market. Together, we can build a resilient, self-reliant, and prosperous future for Meghalaya’s agricultural landscape,” Lyngdoh said.
Breaking down the support for pineapples, Lyngdoh said that interest-free working capital loans totaling Rs 78.82 lakh have been provided in 2023-24 to aggregate a target volume of 540 tonnes. The establishment of six processing units with a capacity of 1,160 tonnes per year, supported by an investment of Rs 5.63 crore, has enabled the manufacturing of juices, concentrates and pineapple candies.
