Flipkart
and NeML partnerships, farmer success stories, and expanding exports highlight
Meghalaya’s integrated value-chain transformation, which has significantly
enhanced value realisation from the state’s pineapples by connecting farmers to
premium domestic and international markets.
New
Delhi: The remarkable journey of one of the country's finest pineapples took
centre stage in the national capital today as the 4th Meghalaya
Pineapple Festival was inaugurated at Dilli Haat, New Delhi. More than
a celebration of a fruit, the festival has evolved into Meghalaya's flagship
platform for connecting farmers directly with organised retail, exporters, food
processors, institutional buyers and consumers, while successfully positioning
its world-renowned pineapples into domestic and international markets.
The festival
was inaugurated by Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia,
Hon'ble Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region and Communications, in the
presence of Shri Conrad K. Sangma, Hon'ble
Chief Minister of Meghalaya, senior government officials, industry leaders,
retailers, entrepreneurs, exporters and farmer collectives from across the
State.
Organised
by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Government of
Meghalaya, the three-day Festival from July 10-12, 2026 celebrates
Meghalaya's premium-quality pineapples, renowned for their rich aroma, low
acidity and exceptional sweetness, with a Brix value of 16–18, significantly
higher than the national average. Cultivated across the rain-fed hills and
valleys of Ri Bhoi, Garo Hills, Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, pineapple
cultivation supports thousands of farming households and has emerged as one of
Meghalaya's most important horticultural success stories.
A major
highlight of the inauguration was the signing of Memoranda of
Understanding (MoUs) with Flipkart and the National
E-Market Services Limited (NeML), strengthening new marketing and distribution
channels for Meghalaya's pineapple growers while expanding their access to
organised retail, institutional buyers and digital marketplaces across India.
Shri
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Hon'ble Union Minister for Development of North
Eastern Region and Communications, said, “Meghalaya is truly a jewel- a diamond and
an emerald among the 36 States and Union Territories of the country. Meghalaya's
remarkable transformation under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Conrad K.
Sangma is a shining example of how visionary
governance, community participation and farmer-centric
policies can together create sustainable economic growth.
Today, the sweetness, rich aroma, low acidity and high Brix content of
Meghalaya's pineapples have earned them recognition far beyond the State and
the country, reaching premium markets across the world.”
Praising initiatives
such as CM FARM+, MLAMP and the Meghalaya State Organic Mission, he stated that
Meghalaya is building globally competitive value chains that place farmers at
the centre of development. He added, “Meghalaya
has many jewels to offer the world, from its exceptional pineapples and
Lakadong turmeric to its unique culture and warm hospitality, and I am
confident that these will continue to strengthen the State's identity on the
global stage.”
Shri
Conrad K. Sangma, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, said, “Our objective is simple- to ensure
that every partnership we build and every market we open ultimately translates
into higher incomes, stronger livelihoods and better opportunities for the
people of Meghalaya."
He added, “Over the past four years, the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival has evolved
from being a celebration of one of our finest fruits into a platform that
showcases the very best of Meghalaya- our farmers, entrepreneurs, self-help
groups, artisans, musicians and our vibrant culture. Every
edition has been an effort to make the Festival bigger, better and more
impactful, and the overwhelming response from people across the country has
encouraged us to keep raising the bar.”
Shri
Sangma said, “Today, the North East is no longer viewed
through the lens of backwardness, but as one of India's fastest-growing
economic regions. Through initiatives like the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival and
partnerships with organisations such as Flipkart, Amazon, Safal and other
leading market players, supported by institutions including ADB, the World
Bank, IFAD and other development partners, we are building sustainable value
chains that create lasting opportunities for our farmers, entrepreneurs,
women-led self-help groups and youth.”
The festival
comes at a time when Meghalaya is rapidly strengthening its position as one of
India's leading producers of premium-quality pineapples. In recent years, the
State's pineapples have gained national and international recognition,
including being presented by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi to the President of the United Arab Emirates during
his official visit, showcasing Meghalaya's agricultural heritage on the global
stage.
The
festival reflects Meghalaya's broader vision of making agriculture a driver of
inclusive economic growth through an integrated
value-chain transformation. The dignitaries also released “Meghalaya
Pineapple: A Four-Edition Journey,” chronicling the remarkable evolution of the festival
since its launch in 2023. In just four editions, it has grown from a
promotional initiative into one of India's most successful agricultural
branding platforms, with fresh pineapple consignments to New Delhi doubling from
7.7 metric tonnes during the inaugural edition to more than 15 metric tonnes in
2025, while simultaneously creating stronger institutional linkages between
producers, retailers and consumers.
Through
initiatives led by the Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), more
than 100 metric tonnes of pineapples have been marketed and exported through
organised domestic and international channels. The
latest milestone came in June 2026, when Hon'ble Union Finance Minister Smt.
Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off a 2-metric-tonne consignment of Meghalaya
pineapples to Lulu Retail, Dubai, reinforcing the State's growing presence in
international markets.
Supporting
this transformation is an expanding ecosystem of 40 PRIME Hubs, with
12 already operational, over 650 spoke facilities supporting processing,
storage and aggregation, and the
Community Public-Private Partnership (CPPP) model,
alongside farmer-owned enterprises such as the Jirang Organic Agro Farmer
Producer Company (FPC). Today, the FPC connects 433 farmers across 18 villages,
nearly 75 percent of whom are women, with organised domestic and international
buyers including Lulu Group, Reliance Retail, Safal-Mother Dairy and Blinkit.
Its revenues have grown from ₹1.5 lakh during 2017–21 to over ₹1.17 crore in
2025, demonstrating how farmer collectivisation, value addition and assured
market access can transform rural livelihoods.
The
fiscal impact is equally compelling. While fresh pineapples fetch roughly
₹22 per kilogram in organised retail, value addition through premium fresh
retail, cooked churrasco pineapple, export-grade frozen pineapple cubes and
upcoming freeze-dried variants has progressively increased value by around 25
per cent, over 186 per cent, nearly 700 per cent and up to ₹1,500 per
kilogram—representing nearly a seventy-fold increase in value. This
remarkable shift towards value addition has boosted the incomes of linked
farmers by up to 80 percent, demonstrating how strategic investments in
processing, branding and market access can dramatically enhance returns from
agriculture.
The
Festival also showcased Meghalaya's vibrant cultural heritage through live
performances under the Chief Minister's Meghalaya
Grassroots Music Program (MGMP), reflecting the State's unique approach of
integrating agriculture, entrepreneurship, tourism and culture into a single
platform for sustainable development.
The 4th
Meghalaya Pineapple Festival will continue till 12 July 2026 at Dilli Haat, New
Delhi, welcoming consumers, retailers, exporters, hospitality professionals and
businesses to experience Meghalaya’s finest pineapples while engaging directly
with the farmers and entrepreneurs driving one of India's most compelling
agricultural success stories.