Mission Queen Pineapple

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has launched Mission Queen Pineapple, a cluster-based initiative to strengthen pineapple cultivation, processing, branding and exports in Tripura, home to the famous GI-tagged Queen Pineapple.

About Mission Queen Pineapple

• Mission Queen Pineapple is a three-year initiative (Fiscal Year 2026–2028) aimed at developing a complete pineapple value chain ecosystem in Tripura.
• It is spearheaded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region in partnership with the Government of Tripura and several Central agencies.
• The mission has a total outlay of ₹236 crore.
• It seeks to improve farmer income, market access, value addition and export competitiveness.

Key Objectives

• The mission aims to move beyond cultivation and integrate farmers into the entire value chain, from production to branding and exports.
• It seeks to reduce post-harvest losses and increase value realisation for pineapple growers.
• It promotes entrepreneurship, women’s participation and tribal livelihoods through value-added products.

Major Features

• The mission follows a convergence-led approach involving: 
  • The Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Food Processing Industries, Commerce, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India and North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation.
• It will establish a Hub-and-Spoke Post-Harvest Infrastructure Network with one central hub near Agartala Airport and eight collection centres in major pineapple-growing districts.
• Infrastructure includes grading units, cold storage facilities, refrigerated transport, solar-powered storage, digital traceability systems and Internet of Things-enabled farm monitoring.
• The Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit will be revived through a Viability Gap Funding model.

About Queen Pineapple

• Queen Pineapple is the State Fruit of Tripura and received the Geographical Indication tag in 2015.
• It is known for its exceptional sweetness, unique aroma, orange-yellow colour and high nutritional value.
• It is cultivated largely without chemical inputs, making it naturally eco-friendly and residue-free.
• Tripura is among India’s leading pineapple-producing states with commercial cultivation across the state.

Bio-Economy Component

• Nearly 60% of the pineapple plant, usually discarded as waste, will be converted into value-added products such as:
  • Bromelain enzyme
  • Pineapple Leaf Fibre
  • GI-branded confectionery products
• This will strengthen the circular economy and generate employment opportunities for rural communities.

Exam Hook: Prelims Question

With reference to “Queen Pineapple”, consider the following statements:

1. It is the State Fruit of Tripura.
2. It received the Geographical Indication tag in 2015.
3. It is primarily cultivated using heavy chemical inputs.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

One-Line Wrap

Mission Queen Pineapple aims to transform Tripura’s GI-tagged Queen Pineapple into a globally competitive agricultural brand through integrated cultivation, processing, value addition and export promotion.