New Delhi : Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Govt. of Meghalaya, Dr Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, attended Day 3 of the 2nd Pineapple Festival 2024, at the iconic Dilli Haat, New Delhi. Hon’ble Minister’s presence, coupled with the Government’s efforts in promoting state’s Kew Pineapples across the globe, underscores the Meghalaya’s commitment to development of a favorable economic ecosystem for the farmers and entrepreneurs of the state. Day 3 of the 5-day festival, marked the presence of thousands of visitors savoring Meghalaya’s Kew Pineapples.
Speaking at the occasion, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Govt. of Meghalaya Dr Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh emphasized the importance of the festival and said “Meghalaya, with its rich Agro-climatic conditions, is a treasure trove of unique produce.” Hon’ble Minister said that the 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, including the export of 4.36 MT of pineapples to Lulu Groups, Abu Dhabi, and a domestic market reach of close to 100MT, and the successful export of approximately 300 MT (289.1 MT) to European Union markets. Additionally, these initiatives have increased farmers’ income up to 122 percent, directly impacting more than 300 farmers and indirectly benefiting more than 5000 fruit-growers of Meghalaya.
With the aim of doubling farmers’ income, the government has initiated mission-mode interventions for high-value commercial crops. These interventions, covering Turmeric, Ginger, Mushroom, Apiculture, Spice, Khasi Mandarin, Pineapple and more, are designed to be holistic, community-centric endeavors with the farmer at the heart of it all, she stated. She added, “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.”
The state has experienced a significant development in the pineapple industry. 11 Collective Marketing Centres (CMC) were set up for trading fresh pineapples, followed with the establishment of 338 Integrated Village Cooperative Societies (IVCS) and 28 Organic Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), to subvert the influence of middlemen and price fluctuations in the fresh fruits segment of the market. With upcoming initiatives like the launch of Agri Response Vehicles, Warehouses, and Farmer’s markets, these co-operatives act as a formidable trading partner for institutional buyers and as a capable exporter handling logistic issues.
Hon’ble Minister affirmed the support by the State government to farmers collectives. She informed that interest-free working capital loans totaling Rs. 78.82 Lakhs have been provided in 2023-24 to aggregate a target volume of 540MT, eliminating the exploitative practice and, gap funding for logistics. The establishment of six processing units with a capacity of 1160MT/year, supported by an investment of Rs. 5.63 crore has enabled the manufacturing of juices, concentrates, and pineapple candies.
Hon’ble Minister also mentioned about Community Public Private Partnerships (CPPP) to make these interventions holistic. Meghalaya is promoting Umdihar IVCS to partner with IQF Pvt Ltd, Karnataka, which is an export-oriented enterprise to set up a frozen fruits processing unit under the CPPP model. The Umdihar PRIME Hub has processed 400 MT (2023-24) aggregating from 24 Co-operative societies across the state. The individually quick-frozen pineapple cubes are exported to European markets as ingredients in baby food.
As the Day 3 of the 2nd edition of Meghalaya Pineapple Festival came to an end, the visitors returned not only with the taste of country’s tastiest pineapples but also with the taste of culture and music of a state, that does not cease to thrive and grow, with the government’s unmatched efforts in making the geographical challenges of the state, as the strength of Meghalaya.
