For the third consecutive year, the Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) has started exporting locally-grown organic pineapples to different cities through air cargo from July 12.
Out of the total targeted quantity of 220 MT set for this year, the first air shipment of 1.2 MT was flagged off by Chief Minister N Biren Singh from Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal on July 12.
Demand for locally-grown organic pineapples has witnessed a steep rise in different cities in the past couple of years due to its unique taste and dedicated efforts from MOMA, the agency which comes under the Department of Horticulture and Social Conservation, Government of Manipur.
During 2018 and 2019, the agency exported a total of 250 MT of organic pineapples to cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mumbai etc.
This year as well, it has been able to improve the quantity of export despite the persistent inconveniences due to COVID-19 pandemic. A total of around 220 MT of queen variety of pineapples are to be airlifted in different phases to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ludhiana (Chandigarh), etc. with assistance from a local private company.
These pineapples were grown and produced under the Phase-II of Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North East Region (MOVCDNER).
N Biren Singh, who also holds the Horticulture and Soil Conservation portfolio, said that farmers need not worry for the market to sell their produces now.
Assuring that the government would buy all their produces, the chief minister informed that a corpus fund of Rs 3 crore has been created for this purpose by the government.
He observed that Manipur would become a self-sufficient and self-reliant state only when its agriculture and horticulture produces are increased by giving thrust to these sectors.
