Agartala, June 27: Pineapple prices in Tripura have tripled over the past seven years, thanks to focused government efforts on improving market linkages and boosting production, said Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Friday.
Speaking to media after inaugurating the 5th Tripura Pineapple Festival, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Pragna Bhavan, Nath said, “There was a time when pineapples sold for just ₹8 to ₹10 apiece. Today, farmers are earning ₹20 to ₹30 per fruit due to the state government’s sustained interventions.”
The festival brought together farmers, buyers, World Bank representatives, and leading retail chains to explore better marketing strategies for the state’s pineapple sector. Tripura, with over 58,000 hectares under fruit cultivation, dedicates approximately 11,000 hectares to pineapple farming. The Queen variety, which has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, is mainly grown in West Tripura and Sepahijala districts, while the Kew variety is cultivated in other parts of the state.
Minister Nath noted that buyers are now directly sourcing pineapples from the farmers’ fields, cutting out intermediaries and ensuring better prices. “This is a result of aggressive buyer-seller meets held in cities like Delhi, Indore, and Varanasi,” he added.
He also mentioned that Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has pledged full support to brand Tripura’s pineapple globally. “A total of ₹135 crore has been allocated to promote Tripura’s Queen Pineapple worldwide,” he said.
Tripura has already begun exporting pineapples to international markets including Qatar, Dubai, and Oman. The government has also adopted staggered cultivation techniques to enable year-round harvesting, moving beyond pineapple’s seasonal identity. Additionally, about 40 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) are currently working to promote value-added products such as jams, juices, and other pineapple-based goods.
