New Delhi/Agartala, June 29 (IANS) In a major boost to Tripura’s pineapple industry, as many as 18 Letters of Intent (LoIs) with a cumulative business value of nearly Rs 11 crore were exchanged during the ‘Buyer-Seller Meet’ held on the second day of the Tripura Queen Pineapple Global Festival 2026, in New Delhi.

The Buyer-Seller Meet was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that the second day of the Tripura Queen Pineapple Global Festival 2026 witnessed enthusiastic participation from policymakers, industry leaders, buyers, exporters and entrepreneurs, further strengthening the market potential of Tripura’s renowned Queen variety pineapple.

The day’s proceedings began with the live broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’, which was attended by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Nath, Rajya Sabha member from Tripura Rajib Bhattacharjee, senior government officials and participants of the festival.

Addressing the gathering, the dignitaries underscored the immense potential of Tripura Queen Pineapple in both domestic and international markets.

They stressed the need to strengthen value chains, improve market linkages, expand processing facilities, enhance branding and promote exports to increase farmers’ income and ensure sustainable growth of the horticulture sector.

Minister Nath told that the Buyer-Seller Meet brought together 40 buyers from different parts of the country, providing an excellent platform for direct interaction among buyers, producers, exporters, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and entrepreneurs.

The event received an overwhelming response, resulting in the exchange of 18 LoIs with a cumulative business value of around Rs 11 crore, marking a significant milestone in promoting the commercial prospects of Tripura’s Queen Pineapple.

The Minister said that the successful outcome of the Buyer-Seller Meet reflects the growing confidence of the industry in the quality, marketability and export potential of Tripura’s Queen Pineapple.

He expressed confidence that the agreements would open new marketing avenues, improve farmers’ income and further strengthen the state’s agri-export ecosystem.

“The Tripura Queen Pineapple Global Festival 2026 continues to serve as a vibrant platform for showcasing the state’s premium horticultural produce while fostering partnerships among farmers, entrepreneurs, processors, exporters and institutional buyers from across the country,” Minister Nath said.

Deputy General Manager of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Sunita Rai, was also attended the meet.

The three-day first ever Tripura Queen Pineapple Global Festival 2026 festival was inaugurated on Saturday.

Minister Nath said that the Janajati (tribal) farmers of Tripura cultivate the Queen and Kew varieties of pineapple and told that the Queen variety received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2014, and in 2018, the Tripura government declared pineapple as the official state fruit.

He said that the cultivation of the Queen and Kew varieties has significantly strengthened Tripura’s position in the horticulture sector and opened up new export opportunities.

Minister Nath also told that the state government, with financial assistance from the Central government and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), is implementing a Rs 234-crore project to strengthen the marketing, processing, and value addition of the GI-tagged Queen pineapple.

Pineapple is cultivated on around 12,000 hectares of land in Tripura, with an annual production of nearly 1.78 lakh metric tonnes.

–IANS

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