Pineapple Festival begins in New Delhi; state govt inks MoUs with e-commerce giants to expand digital market access
From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, July 10: Meghalaya on Friday projected its pineapple sector as a growing economic success story as the fourth Pineapple Festival commenced in New Delhi, with Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia lauding the state’s efforts to expand cultivation, improve market access and enhance farmers’ incomes.
Scindia inaugurated the three-day festival and appreciated the role of the Meghalaya government in uplifting pineapple farming to a record level.
In a gigantic plan, the state government has targeted 12,000 hectares of land under farming in each sector, most of which is organic. The mega plan will help thousands of farmers and their families in the state through this signature product.
Addressing the event, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the fourth, now famous, Pineapple Festival in the national capital has become a calendar event with rising response from all quarters and that this year’s edition will be the best.
“With the response it is getting on the first day itself, it is going to be the best one since the last four years,” he said, adding, “Hence it has become an all-encompassing festival.”
The chief minister said the Pineapple Festival is a prominent annual initiative to transform state pineapple farming into a sustainable economic engine by cutting out intermediaries and connecting local Garo Hills and Khasi Hills farmers directly to high-value domestic and international retail markets.
Sangma reiterated that organically grown, ultra-sweet Meghalaya Kew pineapples are renowned for their low acidity and exceptionally high sugar content. There are also many by-products, including organic juices, jams, specialised desserts and local tropical treats.
The state government also signed milestone Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with e-commerce giants Flipkart and National E-Markets Limited (NeML) to expand digital market access. This builds upon existing supply chains that provide fresh fruit directly to corporate giants like Reliance Fresh, Amazon Karigar, Safal and Blue Tokai.
The chief minister’s structured “farm-to-shelf” push has scaled production, increasing festival sales volume from 7.7 metric tonnes in 2023 to about 20 metric tonnes, and facilitated direct global exports to major international hubs like Lulu Hypermarkets in Dubai.
Organised by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare department, the three-day tropical extravaganza brings the state’s premium, world-famous Kew pineapples straight to New Delhi.
Many farmers were seen selling pineapples and were unable to meet the huge rush.
There are 40 stalls, with farmers and entrepreneurs, mostly led by tribal women from all 12 districts of the state, participating.
Over 50 cooperatives running stalls offering food, spices and honey have already set up their stands to take part in the mega agro event.
Over the years, the festival has also brought together cooperatives, Farmer Producer Companies, Self-Help Groups and entrepreneurs, while facilitating partnerships with leading brands such as Reliance Retail, Amazon Karigar, Blinkit, Zepto, Country Delight and Safal Foods.
A large section of the participating entrepreneurs come through PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market-Driven Enterprises), the state’s flagship entrepreneurship incubation programme, with support from other state agencies. It is organised by the Meghalaya government and its related departments.
At the event, there are dedicated stalls for Khasi, Garo and Jaintia cuisine, a pineapple cuisine stall, and craft zones for handicrafts, handloom and pottery.
Concerts featuring 14 reputed live artists under the chief minister’s Grassroots Music Project will be held each day.
