Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on January 24 announced that the Arunachal Pineapple Festival, held for the first time at Bagra in the West Siang district as a community initiative in collaboration with the Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board, will now be an annual event organized by the State’s Horticulture Department.
During the closing ceremony of the six-day festival, Pema Khandu praised the efforts of the local residents, organized under the All Bagra Welfare Society, for conceiving and executing the festival in collaboration with the State Agriculture Marketing Board. He commended the unique and novel initiative, emphasizing that the festival was organized without relying on government funding.
Expressing his appreciation for the festival’s focus on highlighting and reviving pineapple cultivation in the region, Khandu assured the establishment of a mini food park in the West Siang district. The proposed food park will house food processing units for all agricultural produce from the entire Siang belt, showcasing the region’s potential in horticulture.
Bagra village, particularly under the patronage of the late Tojo Bagra, has been a prominent centre for pineapple cultivation since the 1950s. Despite facing setbacks with a canning factory that couldn’t sustain, demoralizing pineapple farmers, the Pineapple Festival aims to rejuvenate the sector. The festival strives to encourage the cultivation of pineapple, orange, lemon, banana, and other crops across 2,000 to 5,000 hectares in the area.
The closing ceremony saw the presence of Speaker Pasang Dorjee Sona, local legislator and Cabinet Minister Tumke Bagra, as well as MLAs Biyuram Wahge, Kento Jini, Kardo Nyigyor, Gokar Basar, Goruk Pordung, and Hayeng Mangfi. Chief Minister Khandu also awarded certificates to the winners of the Mountain Biking (MTB) Challenge organized during the festival.
Arunachal Agriculture & Horticulture Minister Tage Taki inaugurated the maiden Pineapple Festival on January 19, marking the beginning of an annual celebration aimed at promoting horticulture and revitalizing the agricultural landscape in the region.
