Meghalaya Pineapple Festival to return to Delhi with focus on farmers and market expansion

The fourth edition of the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival will be held at Dilli Haat in New Delhi from July 10 to 12, bringing the state's premium pineapples to the national capital while highlighting efforts to improve market access and farmer incomes.

Organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, the annual festival has become the state's flagship platform for connecting pineapple growers with consumers, retailers, institutional buyers, food businesses and export markets. The event aims to strengthen the agricultural value chain through better branding, value addition, logistics and marketing.

Meghalaya is recognised for producing some of the country's sweetest pineapples, known for their low acidity and high Brix value of 16–18 degrees. The fruit has also gained a foothold in international markets, with exports reaching Lulu Hypermarkets in Dubai and the UAE through farmer producer organisations, including Jirang Organic Agro FPO.

The festival is part of the state's broader strategy to expand agricultural opportunities under Vision@2032. The initiative is supported by the ₹295-crore Meghalaya State Organic Mission, which seeks to bring one lakh hectares under certified organic cultivation by 2028, benefiting more than 90,000 farmers and over 600 cooperatives and producer groups. Pineapple remains one of the state's priority horticultural crops.

Officials said the festival has contributed to growing demand for Meghalaya pineapples. Fresh pineapple sales during the event increased from 7.7 metric tonnes in 2023 to 15.4 metric tonnes in 2025. The platform has also facilitated partnerships between farmer collectives and companies such as Reliance Fresh, Amazon Karigar, Safal Foods Pvt. Ltd. and Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters.

The inaugural programme on July 10 will be attended by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region and Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia as the chief guest, while Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma will be the guest of honour.

The opening ceremony will include interactions with pineapple farmers and entrepreneurs, the screening of a film on Meghalaya's pineapple industry, the signing of memoranda of understanding with Flipkart and National E-Markets Limited (NeML) to improve market access, and the release of a commemorative publication titled Meghalaya Pineapple: A Four-Edition Journey, documenting the festival's growth since it began in 2023.

Throughout the three-day event, visitors will be able to buy fresh pineapples directly from farmer groups, sample value-added products and engage with entrepreneurs and producer collectives. Cultural performances by artists from the Chief Minister's Meghalaya Grassroots Music Programme (MGMP) will also be held alongside the exhibition, showcasing the state's cultural heritage alongside its agricultural produce.