Tripura launches Rs 236cr pineapple project

Agartala: Union minister of DoNER Jyotiraditya Scindia, chief minister Dr Manik Saha, and agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister of Tripura Ratan Lal Nath jointly launched Mission Queen Pineapple, Tripura, with an allocated budget of Rs 236 crore in New Delhi on Wednesday.Nath said Tripura’s exceptional agro-climatic conditions established it as one of India’s primary pineapple-producing regions, with a predominant focus on cultivating the Queen and Kew varieties, predominantly by tribal growers.The ‘Queen Pineapple’, designated as the state fruit of Tripura and holding a GI tag, stood out for its distinct qualities, being the most aromatic, golden-yellow, and low-fibre cultivar compared to other varieties.Despite the premium attributes of the Queen pineapple, smallholder growers in Tripura were currently receiving farm gate prices ranging from Rs 6 to Rs 10 per kg, significantly lower than the potential value of Rs 80 to Rs 150 per kg that processed or export-grade Queen pineapple could fetch in both domestic and international market, Nath said.Dr Saha said Tripura’s pineapples were widely renowned as the finest in the country, particularly the Queen Pineapple, known for its spiny, golden-yellow appearance, sweet taste, pleasant aroma, and juicy flesh, which was rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, and C, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. He said the TSS (sweetness) of the Queen Pineapple ranged from 13 to 17.2 degree Brix, with an acidity level of 0.6 to 0.8%, providing it with a well-balanced sweet-tart flavour.Saha said Tripura’s Queen pineapple variety’s export journey commenced on June 3, 2018, to markets in Dubai, followed by Qatar, Oman, and Bangladesh, along with the export of canned pineapple to Germany and Russia.