Agartala: The Queen pineapple of Tripura has got a geographical indication (GI) tag with the initiative of North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) along with 12 other fruits and vegetables of Northeast, said officials here on Monday.
The officials stated Ministry of DoNER ministry, has facilitated the process of GI tagging and authorized about 800 farmers in the region to get the advantage of exclusive claims of a specific geographical origin and qualities under Intellectual Property Rights across the globe.
After NERAMAC, authorized these farmers, working in groups, to use its certifications, the decision
is expected to boost the promotion of these unique products of the northeast in the international and domestic markets, officials stated.
Besides Queen pineapple of Tripura, Arunachal Orange, Mizo Chilli, Kachai Lemon, Khasi Mandarin, Tezpur Litchi, Sikkim Large Cardamom, Karbi Anglong Ginger, Naga Tree Tomato, ‘Chak-Hao’ Black Rice, Memang Narang, Dalle Khursani and Naga Sweet Cucumber have also got the GI tag.
With a huge demand in Middle East countries and Europe besides, the big cities of India. Tripura government plans to open an auction market for pineapples in New Delhi, the harvesting of which
will be started in a week. The pineapple used to sell at Rs 1-2 per piece and during pick season pineapples were dumped on the street, as there were no buyers.
However, the situation has changed in five years, and even during Covid19 pandemic, pineapple from Tripura was exported. To promote pineapple, the agriculture department is in talks with the Ministry of Agriculture to host a marketplace of pineapple in New Delhi that will help the traders to reach out to international buyers, officials stated.
Tripura is producing the world-renowned Queen Pineapple – spiny, golden yellow in colour, with a distinctive aroma, and has high juice content, tanginess, and sweetness that sets it apart from the pineapples grown in the other Northeast states. The northern parts of Tripura are also producing the Kew verity pineapple, which is also juicy and sweet in taste but bigger in size till the middle of the monsoon.
