Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Launches ₹236 Crore Mission Queen Pineapple in Tripura

Respectable Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has launched the ₹236 crore Mission Queen Pineapple in Tripura. This initiative aims to transform the Tripura’s famous GI-tagged Queen Pineapple into premium brand. This program focuses on to the modern infrastructure, processing, exports, branding and farmer participation across the entire pineapple value chain.

What is Mission Queen Pineapple?

Mission Queen Pineapple is the large scale agricultural and value chain development initiative launched for the Tripura’s pineapple sector.

The mission has the planned implementation period from Q2 FY2026 to Q4 FY2028.

The main objective is to build the complete ecosystem around the Tripura’s unique Queen Pineapple variety, which already holds recobnition of Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

The program aims to the,

• Improve farmer income
• Reduce the post-harvest losses
• Promotes a food processing
• Expand exports
• Develop branding
• Create rural employment

The mission is anchored by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER).

Why Tripura’s Queen Pineapple is Special

Tripura’s Queen Pineapple is known for the,

• Distinct aroma
• Low fiber texture
• Natural sweetness
• Juicy pulp
• Chemical free cultivation in hilly terrain

Because of these qualities it has received the GI-tag recognition and giving it a unique market identity.

Despite this premium quality, traditional farmers often receive only the ₹6–10 per kilogram at the farmgate level.

The government believes that the fruit has much higher commercial value in processed and export markets.

Objective: From Crop Cultivation to Global Branding

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has emphasized that the mission is not limited to the increasing pineapple production.

Instead, goal is to make farmers active participants across the entire agricultural value chain.

This includes the,

• Cultivation
• Aggregation
• Processing
• Packaging
• Branding
• Logistics
• Exports

The idea is to shift from the selling raw produce to building the globally competitive premium fruit brand.

Integrated ‘Hub & Spoke’ Infrastructure Model

A major component of this mission is infrastructure development.

The government plans to create an integrated, ‘Hub & Spoke’ pineapple ecosystem.

And the infrastructure includes the,

• One central processing hub near to the Agartala airport
• Eight collection centers across the pineapple-growing districts
• Cold storage facilities
• Solar cold storage systems
• Reefer transportation logistics
• Grading and sorting facilities
• IoT-enabled farm monitoring
• QR-based digital traceability systems

This is also expected to improve the supply chain efficiency and reduce wastage.

Revival of Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit

The mission also includes revival of the Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit.

This will be implemented through the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and the partnership between NERAMAC and private companies.

The facility will support the,

• Commercial-scale processing
• Value-added pineapple products
• Export-quality production

Processing is also expected to significantly increase the farmer earnings.

Which Agencies Are Involved?

The mission follows the convergence-based implementation model which involves the multiple ministries and agencies.

Key Institutions Includes the,

• Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries
• APEDA
• MSME Ministry
• DPIIT
• ICAR
• CSIR
• TRIFED
• NERAMAC
• Government of Tripura

This multi-agency coordination is expected to improve the implementation efficiency.