The Central Government has launched the ₹236 crore Mission Queen Pineapple, a major initiative aimed at strengthening pineapple cultivation, processing, branding, and exports in Tripura. The mission was launched by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, along with Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha.
The three-year mission will be implemented from Q2 FY2026 to Q4 FY2028 and focuses on developing Tripura’s GI-tagged Queen Pineapple into a globally recognised premium agricultural product. The initiative is being implemented through a convergence approach involving multiple central ministries, agencies, research institutions, and the Government of Tripura.
Speaking at the launch, Shri Scindia said the mission reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming the North Eastern Region into a hub for high-value agricultural and horticultural products. He emphasised that the objective is not only to increase pineapple production but also to integrate farmers into the entire value chain, including aggregation, processing, branding, packaging, and exports.
Tripura’s Queen Pineapple is known for its distinctive aroma, low-fibre texture, and Geographical Indication (GI) status. However, despite its premium quality, farmers often receive commodity-level prices due to limited market access, inadequate post-harvest infrastructure, and weak integration with domestic and international markets.
Infrastructure and Processing Investments
A key component of the initiative is the development of an integrated “Hub and Spoke” post-harvest ecosystem. The proposed infrastructure includes a central hub near Agartala Airport and eight collection centres across major pineapple-growing districts such as West Tripura, Khowai, and Sepahijala.
The network will provide grading facilities, cold storage, refrigerated logistics, solar-powered storage units, digital traceability systems, and IoT-based farm monitoring solutions. These measures are expected to reduce post-harvest losses and improve market access for farmers.
The mission also includes the revival of the Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit through a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) model to be implemented by NERAMAC in partnership with private sector participants. The facility will support commercial-scale processing and value addition, helping create a stronger market for pineapple-based products.
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Focus on Value Addition and Rural Livelihoods
Another important feature of the mission is its focus on the bio-economy and waste utilisation. Nearly 60 per cent of the pineapple plant, which is currently discarded, will be used for producing value-added products such as bromelain, pineapple leaf fibre (PALF), and GI-branded confectionery products.
These activities are expected to create additional livelihood opportunities for women self-help groups, tribal communities, and rural entrepreneurs while supporting a circular economy around pineapple cultivation.
Chief Minister Manik Saha highlighted that pineapple has been declared the State Fruit of Tripura. He noted that the state’s Queen and Kew pineapple varieties are naturally cultivated in hilly areas without chemical inputs, making them known for their sweetness, aroma, and quality. He stated that the state government is promoting food processing, packaging, branding, and market linkages to improve farmer incomes and generate rural employment.
Export Promotion and Market Development
MDoNER Secretary Shri Sanjay Jaju noted that smallholder farmers currently receive only ₹6-10 per kilogram at the farmgate level, despite the significant value that processed and export-grade pineapple products can command. According to him, the mission aims to address critical gaps in cold-chain infrastructure, processing capacity, branding, GI monetisation, and buyer-linkage systems.
In addition to infrastructure development, the mission will support GI authorisation workshops, QR-code-based traceability systems, organic certification, buyer-seller meets, export-readiness programmes, and annual promotional events such as the Tripura Queen Pineapple Festival, which will be aligned with International Pineapple Day on 27 June.
The Mission Queen Pineapple represents a comprehensive effort to transform Tripura’s GI-tagged pineapple into a globally competitive brand while promoting farmer-led value creation, rural employment, sustainable livelihoods, and export-oriented agricultural growth in the state.
Source: Ministry of Development of North-East Region
