Union agriculture minister inaugurates Meghalaya Pineapple Festival in Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 1: The state government has signed three MoUs with major conglomerates in order to improve agri-market linkages of Meghalaya’s mostly organic products.
The major MoUs were signed with Reliance Fresh, Amazon Karigar, and Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters during inauguration of the third edition of three-day Meghalaya Pineapple Festival at iconic Dilli Haat in New Delhi on Friday.
These MoUs will provide crucial logistics support and help distribute Meghalaya’s products across the country, said chief minister Conrad Sangma.
“This initiative is not limited to Meghalaya alone – we want to connect fresh produces from across the North East to national and international markets,” he said.
The Pineapple Festival, which positions Meghalaya’s agricultural success story at the heart of the national capital, was inaugurated by union agriculture and rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in presence of the chief minister.
“The products of Meghalaya are almost fully organic. By marketing them well and adding value, you have shown, for the third year that Meghalaya’s products are truly special. Jackfruit, fruits, coffee, pineapple, mushrooms- everything is amazing,” said Chouhan while praising Meghalaya’s value chain approach.
Acknowledging that he already knew that Meghalaya produces very good pineapples, the union minister said, “But after tasting them today, I couldn’t stop eating! I have never tasted pineapples so juicy and sweet before. This sweetness in taste belongs to the soil of Meghalaya.”
He also praised the efforts of government of Meghalaya and assured the state’s farmers to support in their endeavours.
“Meghalaya’s Achievement in Agriculture Sector”, which aligns with the state’s broader Vision@2032 of transforming Meghalaya into a $16 billion economy, was also unveiled on the occasion.
The strategy includes a five-year plan to strengthen farm infrastructure, promote crop diversification, improve processing and logistics, and increase farmers’ incomes through market-based models.
In his address, the chief minister said, “Our state produces around 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of pineapples every year, and a large share of this is consumed within the North East itself.”
“Over the past few years, we have set up various fruit processing units to enable value addition – not just for pineapples, but also for turmeric, black pepper, and other produces, with the goal of meeting international packaging and quality standards,” he added.
He said the government’s aim is to establish one such unit in each of the 55 blocks of the state, catering to the prominent value chains in the block.
Explaining the achievement made by the state in the sector over the past three years, the chief minister said, “Meghalaya has invested in more than 27 cold storages, 8 processing hubs, and logistics support, including mobile units and refrigerated trucks. In 2024 alone, over 682 MT of processed pineapples were exported to the EU, Gulf, and Southeast Asia.”
A growing domestic market has also emerged, with over 150 MT sold across Indian metros through institutional partnerships, he added.
This year’s Pineapple Festival features curated stalls from various cooperatives of Meghalaya with products such as live tastings, value-added products, and B2B interactions.
There are also cultural performances from Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills under the flagship Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project.
The Musicians from CM-MGMP are all set to perform in both Dilli Haat, INA, and India Gate, on all the three days of the festival.
A short film on ‘Meghalaya Agriculture & Horticulture’ was also screened during the event.
Meanwhile, the Northeast Catholic Research Forum (NECARF) also raised the demand for release of the Christian nuns arrested by Chhattisgarh police.
Strongly condemning the “inaction” of law enforcement agencies, the Forum urged “every right-thinking citizen” of the country to speak up against “attempts to target minorities”…
“The Christian community’s contribution to building modern India through education, health service, social service, and much more, after all is well known, acknowledged umpteen times by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well,” it said.
The Forum appealed to the Central and state governments to uphold safety, security, and dignity of every citizen, irrespective of their community or religious affiliation.
