From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, July 31: The third edition of the Meghalaya Pineapple Fest will be celebrated starting Friday at Dilli Haat featuring the delightfully sweet Kew pineapple from the hill state.
The inaugural programme will be graced by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The popular three-day mega event will be held alongside folk-infused performances curated under Chief Minister’s Grassroots Music Project (CMGMP).
Pineapple is one of the flagship fruits of Meghalaya as they are grown by the local communities in a traditional manner and the fruits are mostly organic. The quality of the fruits has been recognised internationally and they are being exported to Europe and Middle East, too.
Organised by the Meghalaya government, the festival also celebrates the state’s rich crafts, indigenous flavours, and grassroots talent besides pineapple.
One can also test and buy fresh pineapple slices, juice and other such products right on the spot itself. Meghalaya’s famous turmeric, honey, tea and other indigenous products will be for display and sale too.
Notably, over 30,000 farmers across the districts of Ri-Bhoi and the Garo Hills grow pineapples naturally, through the intervention of self-help groups (SHGs) that ensure quality and traceability. Meghalaya’s pineapples are now travelling far and wide, thanks to robust partnerships with entities like Lulu Group and Mother India.
Behind this success lies a holistic ecosystem including over 500+ farmer collectives, interest-free loans, cold storages, processing units, mobile packhouses, and farm-to-airport logistics, designed to ensure that the fresh produce reaches various parts of the world. Notably, the state’s flagship initiative, FOCUS, has been instrumental in providing trial marketing grants and strengthening farmer-market linkages.
The first two editions of the festival in 2023 and 2024 not only catalysed international collaborations but also drew significant national attention. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded it as a celebration of India’s “diverse agricultural heritage” that “empowers our farmers.”