Aligning with the national vision of doubling farmers’ incomes, Meghalaya is also working towards realising the full potential of its agrarian economy. Taking a bold step in this direction, Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister of the State, laid down the Vision @2032. It is aimed at transforming Meghalaya into a $16 billion economy by the time the State marks its 60th anniversary. Agriculture, which is central to State’s rural life, is a key pillar under Mission 10, in achieving the Vision @2032 goals.
For decades, small and marginal farmers across the State have grown a wide range of crops under different conditions, favourable as well as adverse. Recognising this, the Government has been working to build more structured and sustainable agricultural value chains that increases incomes, reduces risks and opens new markets. Among the commodities with the highest potential are pineapples, oranges, turmeric, ginger, etc.
Pineapples, especially the Kew variety, are widely recognised for their sweetness, low acidity and near-organic characteristics. With a high Brix value of 16 to 18 and minimal chemical residue, the fruit meets international quality standards. It is suitable for both fresh consumption and processing, making pineapple one of those crops from the region that can be positioned competitively in both domestic and global markets. Recently, Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, flagged off 2 metric tonnes of premium organic pineapples to LULU Retail in Dubai.
Success of past 2 years
To further promote the fruit, the third edition of Meghalaya Pineapple Festival was organised from August 1 to 3, 2025, at the Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. The third edition of the festival, building on the success of the past two years, has further strengthened strategic collaborations through the signing of MoUs with Reliance Fresh and Amazon Karigar. These partnerships provide farmers with a valuable platform to showcase their produce, connect with buyers, and enhance the visibility and identity of Meghalaya’s agri-economy. Notably, over 15.4 tonnes of pineapples were sold in mere three days.
The State’s approach has been to strengthen every link in the pineapple value chain, from production-to-processing and strategic marketing interventions. Trial marketing has emerged as a practical tool to boost the participation of farmers’ collectives in marketing their produce. To support this, a funding window has been created under the Farmers’ Collectivisation for Upscaling Production and Marketing System (FOCUS) to avail trial marketing grants.
Over the last three years, more than 500 farmer collectives, including Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and cooperative societies, have been mobilised across different districts of Meghalaya. These collectives are not just production units; they are being supported to become formal agri-business entities. Capacity building, business planning, and technical support are being provided to help them function more efficiently.
State’s strategy
Processing and value addition remain central to Meghalaya’s strategy for strengthening the pineapple value chain. To minimise post-harvest losses and expand market reach, 27 cold storages have been established across key production clusters and markets. Additionally, seven processing units with a combined capacity of 12,000 tonnes have been supported through an investment of ₹33.49 crore. These units, linked to 18 PRIME hubs, benefit over 14,000 farmers and facilitate the production of juice, pulp, concentrates, and other value-added products suited for diverse market segments. Further infrastructure development includes provision for refrigerated trucks for farm-to-processing and farm-to-airport logistics, setting-up pre-cooling and grading units, mobile processing facilities in remote areas, and district-level centres, each aligned with the goal of building an integrated, future-ready agri-logistics ecosystem.
Export initiatives have significantly advanced, in addition to the Union Minister flagging off a shipment, over 682 metric tonnes of processed pineapples from Meghalaya have been exported to the European Union’s baby food industry. In 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board and Lulu International Group enabled the export of 5.2 tonnes of pineapples to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Kuwait. An additional 1.3 tonnes were exported through coordination with the Department of Agriculture and MBDA. Domestically, 160 tonnes of pineapples have been marketed across major Indian cities, where farmers benefit from better pricing, quicker payments, and stable demand. Strategic partnerships with leading organisations such as Lulu Group and Mother India are creating dependable market linkages and improving farm-level income. The State is set to forge new partnerships with global market leaders, aiming to not only boost farmer incomes, but also unlock the full potential of Meghalaya’s agrarian economy, in line with the Chief Minister’s Vision@2032.
The journey from soil to shelf requires coordinated action, from policy to last-mile execution. Meghalaya’s progress in building the pineapple value chain is definitely a step in the right direction. With the right ecosystem, pineapple is gradually, becoming a dependable driver of rural income and economic diversification in the State.
The author is Minister, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Meghalaya
Published on August 23, 2025