Tripura exports 73 MT of pineapple to Gulf nations, eyes global branding for Queen variety

Tripura’s Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Saturday announced that the state has exported 73.15 metric tonnes (MT) of pineapple to Dubai, Oman, and Qatar over the past seven years.

Speaking at the Pineapple Festival held at Geetanjali Auditorium in Kumarghat, Unakoti district, the Minister highlighted the state government’s commitment to boosting horticultural exports and supporting farmers.

“Our government declared Queen pineapple as the state fruit. It already has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which means no one else can brand it as theirs. Our aim is to expand both the production and market of pineapples,” said Nath.

He added that the state is also pursuing GI tags for other unique products, including Sidol Shutki (fermented fish) and Sabri banana.

To promote Tripura’s organic produce, the government recently organised its first-ever buyers-sellers meet focusing on organic items like pineapple, bird's eye chilli, and ginger.

According to Nath, Tripura has around 3.65 lakh kani of land under fruit cultivation, with pineapple alone covering 74,000 kani. Of this, the Kew variety is grown on 53,700 kani across Dhalai, Unakoti, and North Districts, while the Queen variety occupies 22,000 kani.

“Back in 2018, pineapples sold at Rs 8–9. Today, prices have soared to Rs 40 or more, significantly improving farmers’ earnings,” the Minister noted. He also informed that the Union Ministry of DoNER is working to promote Queen pineapple as a global brand, and a Rs 132 crore project is being planned in collaboration with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

In addition to pineapples, Tripura exported 4.40 MT of jackfruit to the USA, 30 MT of ginger, and 17 MT of betel leaf to Bangladesh between 2018 and 2025.