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Relevance: GS Paper III — Agriculture, Horticulture & North-East Value Chains; GS Paper I — Geography of North-East India Source: News reports, June 2026

1 · What happened

The Tripura government, with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), is holding the Tripura Global Pineapple Festival in New Delhi from 27 June, the same day as International Pineapple Day.

The festival supports the new “Mission Queen Pineapple of Tripura” — a three-year, centrally funded “farm-to-plate” programme worth ₹236 crore, launched on 27 May. The goal is to fix old road and logistics problems and turn this GI-tagged tribal crop into a global export brand.

2 · The journey from hill farm to global market

Geographical Indication (GI) tag: a legal mark for a product whose quality and reputation come from a particular place. The Queen pineapple got its GI tag in 2014 under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, and became Tripura’s State Fruit in 2018.
1
Grown on the hills
The Queen variety (Ananas comosus) is golden-yellow, sweet, and non-spiny, rich in vitamins and minerals. It grows on terraced slopes alongside paddy, sugarcane, and the larger Kew variety. Its main hub is the Killa region of Gomati district, and it is cultivated in more than half of Tripura’s eight districts.

2
Naturally grown & legally protected
It is grown almost all year with zero to minimal chemicals, which suits global demand for organic produce. The GI tag protects it from fake branding and helps farmers earn premium prices.

3
Turned into higher-value products
Beyond fresh fruit, it becomes jams, slices, and canned pineapple. A clever use: textile-grade thread (“pineapple silk”) is drawn from the leaves, giving farmers extra income and supporting zero-waste farming.

4
Sent to global markets
Fresh fruit reaches the UAE and Bangladesh; canned pineapple (about 74 MT) goes to Germany and Russia. APEDA opens markets in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, while the Krishi Udan Scheme air-freights perishable produce.

5
The roadblocks that remain
Poor roads raise transport costs and cause post-harvest spoilage, and clearing old fields for replanting needs heavy labour. The fixes: cold-storage hubs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and mechanisation.

  • Key numbers: About 11,698 hectares are under pineapple, producing 1.71 lakh MT a year, with a marketable surplus of around 23,000 MT. (MT = Metric Tonnes.)
  • Who grows it: The crop is a main livelihood for Tripura’s tribal communities, who make up over 30% of the state’s population.
  • The certification opportunity: Because the fruit is near-organic, APEDA can help tribal cooperatives meet the strict phytosanitary (plant-health) and organic-certification rules of the European Union, opening high-premium supermarkets abroad.

UPSC Value Box
Queen Pineapple Tripura’s famous variety (Ananas comosus); GI-tagged 2014; State Fruit 2018.
GI Act, 1999 Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act — the law that grants GI tags.
Killa, Gomati district The main pineapple-growing hub in Tripura.
Kew variety Larger, juicier companion variety; mainly used for food processing.
Mission Queen Pineapple 3-year, centrally funded ₹236-crore farm-to-plate scheme; launched 27 May.
MDoNER Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; handles domestic policy & connectivity.
APEDA Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority; opens global markets.
Krishi Udan Scheme Scheme to air-freight perishable farm produce, especially from the North-East & hilly regions.
FPO Farmer Producer Organisation — a group that lets small farmers pool resources and bargain better.
Pineapple silk Textile-grade thread from pineapple leaves; supports zero-waste agriculture.
Key numbers Area 11,698 ha; yield 1.71 lakh MT/year; surplus 23,000 MT; canned exports 74 MT.
International Pineapple Day Observed on 27 June.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to the ‘Queen’ pineapple of Tripura and related frameworks, consider the following statements:

  1. It received its Geographical Indication tag under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
  2. APEDA is responsible for improving domestic road connectivity in the North-East, while MDoNER handles global export market linkages.
  3. The Krishi Udan Scheme aims to air-freight perishable agricultural produce, which can help move pineapples to distant markets.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: The GI tag (2014) was granted under the GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which protects the fruit from misbranding.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap): The roles are swapped. MDoNER looks after domestic policy and connectivity in the North-East, while APEDA handles global export market linkages.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: The Krishi Udan Scheme air-freights perishable farm produce, cutting spoilage and helping reach far-off markets.
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