Shivraj Singh Chouhan praises Meghalaya's pineapples, value chain model at Delhi event

Shillong, Aug 1 (PTI) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday praised Meghalaya's organic produce and transformative agricultural efforts while inaugurating the third edition of the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival in New Delhi.

The event also marked the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the Meghalaya government and Reliance Fresh, Amazon Karigar, and Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters to enhance procurement, national distribution, and visibility of Meghalaya's agri-products, according to a statement issued here.

Savouring the famed Kew pineapples from Meghalaya, Chouhan lauded the state's value chain approach.

"The products of Meghalaya are almost fully organic... jackfruit, coffee, mushrooms, pineapple, everything is amazing. Today, the air in Delhi feels filled with the fragrance of Meghalaya," the statement quoted the minister as saying.

He assured Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma of the Centre's continued support, and urged Delhi residents to visit the festival to "feel the taste of Meghalaya.".

The MoUs signed are aimed at scaling market access and logistics for Meghalaya's farmers, who are increasingly moving towards value-added production, the statement said.

The chief minister said the state produces around 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of pineapples annually, most of which is consumed in the Northeast.

"We've set up processing units across the state and aim to establish one in each of Meghalaya's 55 blocks.... These MoUs will provide crucial logistics support and connect produce from across the Northeast to wider markets," Sangma said.

He also unveiled Meghalaya's achievements in the agriculture sector, in line with its Vision@2032 to transform the state into a USD 16 billion economy.

He highlighted ongoing investments in cold storage, mobile units, refrigerated trucks, and processing hubs.

According to officials, over 682 metric tonnes of processed pineapples were exported to the EU, Gulf and Southeast Asia in 2024, with over 150 MT sold in domestic metros through institutional partnerships..

The festival, organised by the Meghalaya government's Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, features curated stalls, live tastings, B2B meets, value-added products, and cultural performances by musicians from Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills under the Chief Minister's Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (CM-MGMP).

The Meghalaya Pineapple Festival 2025 is open to the public at Dilli Haat until August 3 from 11 AM to 8:45 PM. PTI JOP NN