Scindia, Tripura CM launch Rs 236 crore 'Mission Queen Pineapple'

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and the Tripura CM launched 'Mission Queen Pineapple', a Rs 236 crore initiative. The mission aims to develop the value chain for the state's GI-tagged Queen Pineapple from farm to global markets.

Union Minister for the Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Jyotiraditya Scindia, together with the Chief Minister of Tripura, on Wednesday launched 'Mission Queen Pineapple', a Rs 236 crore convergence-led initiative for pineapple cultivation and value chain development in Tripura.

According to a press release, the Mission is designed as a three-year implementation roadmap from Q2 FY2026 to Q4 FY2028 for promoting Tripura's Unique Selling Proposition (USP), the GI-tagged Queen Pineapple. Anchored by MDoNER, the Mission builds upon convergence with Schemes and interventions of the Ministries of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Food Processing Industries, Commerce, MSME, APEDA, DPIIT, ICAR, CSIR, TRIFED, NERAMAC and the Government of Tripura for establishing an integrated pineapple value-chain ecosystem in the State.

A Vision for the North Eastern Region

Scindia underscored Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of positioning the North Eastern Region as a hub of high-value agricultural and horticultural products, the release stated. Addressing the stakeholders including the pineapple farmers, processors and investors joining virtually, Scindia stated, "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, Tripura's agricultural strengths are being transformed into globally competitive brands."

The Minister highlighted that the objective is not merely crop cultivation, but enabling farmers to become active players across the entire value chain -- from production and aggregation to processing, branding, packaging and exports. Emphasising the Mission's broader approach, Scindia said, "Our goal is to build a complete value chain--from farm to global markets--so that farmers become active participants in the prosperity created by their produce."

The Minister observed that while Tripura Queen Pineapple possesses a unique aromatic profile, low-fibre texture and GI-backed distinctiveness, farmers continue to receive commodity prices due to weak market integration and inadequate infrastructure. He noted that the Mission aims to bridge this gap through convergence-led investments and market-oriented interventions that will significantly enhance farmer value realization, the release said.

Integrated Infrastructure and Processing

Highlighting the major infrastructure components under the Mission, the Minister stated that the programme will establish a "Hub & Spoke" integrated pineapple post-harvest ecosystem comprising one central Hub near Agartala airport and eight spoke collection centers across major pineapple-growing clusters of West Tripura, Khowai and Sepahijala districts. The infrastructure will include grading facilities, cold storage, reefer logistics, solar cold storage, IoT-enabled farm monitoring and digital traceability systems.

The Minister further highlighted the revival of the Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit through a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) model to be implemented by NERAMAC in partnership with private partners. The facility will support commercial-scale processing and value addition for pineapple-based products

Bio-Economy Strategy

Referring to the Mission's bio-economy strategy, the Minister stated that nearly 60 percent of the pineapple plant, presently discarded as waste, would be converted into value-added products through Bromelain extraction, Pineapple Leaf Fiber (PALF) processing and GI-branded confectionery units. He emphasised that these interventions would create new opportunities for women SHGs, tribal communities and rural entrepreneurs while strengthening the circular economy around pineapple cultivation.

The release noted that as part of the launch programme, a short film on the Pineapple Mission was screened, followed by interactions with progressive pineapple farmers from Tripura and remarks by investors and industry representatives.

Tripura's Commitment to the Mission

Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Saha said that pineapple was declared the State Fruit of Tripura. He highlighted that Tripura's renowned Queen and Kew varieties of pineapple are grown naturally in the state's hilly terrain without chemical inputs, making them exceptionally sweet, juicy and aromatic. He further stated that the State Government is promoting value addition, food processing, packaging, branding and market linkages to enhance farmers' income and generate employment opportunities in rural areas.

Expressing confidence in the support of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), he said the initiative would help bridge productivity gaps and establish Tripura pineapple as a global brand. Agriculture Minister of Tripura Ratan Lal Nath also highlighted the mission objectives and thanked MDoNER for the initiative.

Addressing Sector's Structural Gaps

Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MDoNER in his introductory remarks elaborated on the implementation framework of the Mission and highlighted the need for a Mission-mode approach to unlock the full economic potential of Tripura Queen Pineapple. He underlined that despite being among the most aromatic and low-fiber pineapple cultivars in India, smallholder growers presently receive only Rs 6 to Rs 10 per kilogram at the farmgate level, whereas processed and export-grade products can command significantly higher value in domestic and international markets, the release noted.

The Secretary further highlighted that the Mission seeks to systematically address major structural gaps in the sector, including post-harvest losses, lack of integrated cold-chain infrastructure, absence of commercial-scale processing facilities, weak branding and limited structured GI monetisation and buyer-linkage systems.

Mission Activities and Global Branding

As per the release, the Mission activities would also include GI authorisation workshops, QR-based traceability systems, GI monetisation frameworks, buyer-seller meets, organic certification support, export-readiness measures and annual flagship events such as the "Tripura Queen Pineapple Festival", aligned with International Pineapple Day on 27 June.

The Mission envisions transforming Tripura Queen Pineapple into a globally recognised premium brand while strengthening sustainable livelihoods, farmer-led value creation and export-oriented growth across the State. The launch event was attended by officials of MDoNER and the Government of Tripura along with farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. (ANI)

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