Over 30 tonnes of fresh Meghalaya pineapples were sold during the fourth Meghalaya Pineapple Festival in New Delhi last week. A media statement said that this quantity was almost double the 15.4 tonnes sold in 2025 and nearly four times the 7.7 tonnes recorded during the festival’s inaugural edition in 2023.The first edition in 2023 introduced Meghalaya’s premium pineapples to consumers in the national capital. By 2024, the festival had begun facilitating institutional partnerships. The 2025 edition expanded further with collaborations involving Reliance Fresh, Amazon Karigar and Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, while also serving as the platform for launching the Meghalaya Agriculture Strategy 2028.Meghalaya produces over 1.4 lakh tonnes of pineapples annually across nearly 12,600 hectares, largely concentrated in Ri-Bhoi, Garo Hills and parts of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Cultivated under rain-fed conditions, the fruit is recognised for its exceptional sweetness, rich aroma, low acidity and a Brix value of 16-18, significantly higher than the national average.Integrated approachThe statement said that Meghalaya adopted an integrated approach centred on farmer collectivisation, processing, branding and market development. Initiatives, including CM FARM+, MLAMP, the Meghalaya State Organic Mission, and interventions led by the Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) have worked in tandem to build an ecosystem that extends well beyond cultivation.This ecosystem now includes 40 PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market-Driven Enterprises) hubs, of which 12 are operational, supported by over 650 spoke facilities for aggregation, storage and primary processing.Community public-private partnership models have further strengthened local processing infrastructure, reducing post-harvest losses while creating opportunities for higher value realisation.Fresh pineapples sold through organised retail fetch approximately ₹22 per kilogram. Once processed into premium retail packs, churrasco pineapple, and export-grade frozen cubes, the same fruit can command prices of up to ₹1,500 per kg. According to the Government, farmers integrated into these value chains have recorded income gains of up to 80 per cent, it said.The Jirang Organic Agro Farmer Producer Company (FPC) in Ri-Bhoi district, which was established in 2017, brings together 433 farmers across 18 villages, nearly 75 per cent of whom are women. It supplies organised buyers including Lulu Group, Reliance Retail, Safal-Mother Dairy and Blinkit. The statement said its revenues have increased from ₹1.5 lakh during 2017-21 to over ₹1.17 crore in 2025, demonstrating how collective marketing and value addition can transform rural enterprises.Through initiatives led by MSAMB, more than 100 tonnes of Meghalaya pineapples have already been marketed through organised domestic and international channels. In June 2026, a 2-tonne consignment was flagged off for Lulu Retail in Dubai, it said.Published on July 13, 2026