Meghalaya Pineapple Festival is going on in Dilli Haat of the national capital from Friday. If you also want to taste the world’s sweetest pineapple, then you only have today left. In fact, in this event running from 10th to 12th July, Meghalaya’s world famous premium pineapple along with the state’s culture, handicrafts, traditional cuisine and success stories of farmers are being presented on one platform. This time the festival is not limited to taste only, but is also being considered an important step towards connecting farmers with big markets in the country and abroad, increasing exports and strengthening the agriculture-based economy.
Union Minister and Chief Minister inaugurated
The festival was inaugurated by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region and Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia along with Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad K. Done in the presence of Sangma. Senior government officials, industry representatives, retail companies, exporters, entrepreneurs and farmer groups of the state also participated in the program. Organized by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of the Government of Meghalaya, this festival has now become recognized as the most important agricultural branding platform of the state.
The sweetness of Meghalaya’s pineapple created its own identity.
Pineapple of Meghalaya is known for its strong aroma, low acidity and high sweetness. Its Brix value ranges between 16 to 18, which is much higher than the national average. It is cultivated in the rain-fed hills of Ri-Bhoi, Garo Hills, Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and the livelihood of thousands of farmer families is linked to it. Especially the famous ‘Kew’ variety of fresh pineapples remain the center of attraction in the festival.
Important agreements signed with Flipkart and NeML
MoUs were signed with Flipkart and National e-Market Services Limited (NeML) at the inaugural ceremony of the festival. These partnerships will provide Meghalaya’s pineapple growers better access to organized retail, institutional buyers and digital marketplaces. This will help in providing new markets to the farmers across the country and getting better prices.
Meghalaya is rapidly gaining recognition in the global market
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Meghalaya has made remarkable changes through visionary policies, community participation and farmer-centric schemes. He said that Meghalaya’s pineapple has now reached international premium markets due to its sweetness, aroma and quality. Praising schemes like CM FARM+, MLAMP and Meghalaya State Organic Mission, he said that the state is developing global level agricultural value chain. He also said that Meghalaya’s pineapple, Lakadong turmeric, culture and hospitality are continuously strengthening the state’s international identity.
The main goal of the government is to increase the income of farmers.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that the aim of the government is to take the benefits of every new partnership and every new market directly to the farmers and common people. He said that in the last four years, this festival has not been limited to just the promotion of pineapple, but has become a big platform to bring the farmers, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, artisans, artists and the rich culture of Meghalaya in front of the country. He said that every effort has been made to make each edition more effective than the previous one and the positive cooperation received from across the country has given new heights to this initiative.
International institutions are also getting support
The Chief Minister said that North-East India is no longer being recognized as a backward region but as a rapidly developing economic power. With the support of Flipkart, Amazon, Safal and other large market partners as well as several development partner institutions including Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, IFAD, strong and sustainable value chains are being created for farmers, women self-help groups, youth and entrepreneurs.
Meghalaya’s pineapple reached from Prime Minister to Dubai
In recent years, Meghalaya’s pineapple has received special recognition at the national and international level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented pineapple from Meghalaya to the President of UAE during his visit. In June 2026, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had sent a consignment of two metric tons of Meghalaya pineapple to Lulu Retail of Dubai. Till now, more than 100 metric tonnes of pineapple has been marketed and exported to domestic and international markets through Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB).
Consignment sent to Delhi doubled in four editions
The book ‘Meghalaya Pineapple: A Four-Edition Journey’ was also released during the programme. In this, the journey of the festival starting from the year 2023 has been recorded. While in the first edition, 7.7 metric tons of fresh pineapple was sent to Delhi, by 2025 this quantity will increase to more than 15 metric tons. This has also created a strong institutional network between producers, retail companies and consumers.
Participation of women farmers becomes a big strength
40 PRIME Hubs are being developed in the state, out of which 12 have already started. Apart from this, more than 650 spoke facilities are doing processing, storage and aggregation work. Farmer organizations like Community Public-Private Partnership (CPPP) model and Zirang Organic Agro Farmer Producer Company (FPC) have connected farmers with big buyers. This FPC connects 433 farmers from 18 villages, of which about 75 percent are women. Its buyers include companies like Lulu Group, Reliance Retail, Safal-Mother Dairy and Blinkit. While its income was Rs 1.5 lakh during the year 2017-21, it will increase to more than Rs 1.17 crore in 2025.
Increase in farmers’ income by 80 percent through value addition
The price of fresh pineapple in the organized market is around Rs 22 per kg, but through value addition its price is increasing manifold. Through premium fresh retail, Churrasco Pineapple, Export Grade Frozen Pineapple Cubes and upcoming freeze-dried products, we have been successful in increasing the value of the product by 25 percent to almost 70 times. There has been an increase of about 80 percent in the income of the farmers associated with this.
Unique experience of taste, culture and music at Dilli Haat
The festival offers an opportunity to taste the traditional dishes of Meghalaya including pickled bamboo shoots, smoked pork, fresh pineapple and local food products. Apart from this, traditional handicrafts, spices, pickles and fruit boxes directly from the farms can also be purchased. Folk music and cultural performances are also being organized daily under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Program (MGMP), which showcases the integrated model of agriculture, tourism, culture and entrepreneurship.
If you are planning to travel then know important things
This festival is being organized at Dilli Haat from 11 am to 9 pm every day till July 12. INA metro station is the most convenient option to reach here. Payment can be made at the stalls through both UPI and cash. Many local dishes and products can be enjoyed even in a budget of around Rs 500. In view of the rainy season, covered seating arrangements are also available in Dilli Haat, so that families and tourists can enjoy the entire event comfortably.
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