Agartala, Aug 12, 2022, IANS

Agartala, Aug 12 (IANS) Tripura exported 9,909 tonnes of the most delicious pineapples to Dubai, Qatar, Bangladesh facilitating Rs 14 crore trade of the state's farmers during the past two years, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said here on Thursday.

The Agriculture Minister said that besides pineapples, Tripura also exported various other fruits and horticultural products to the UK, Germany and many other countries.

Singha Roy said that to popularise the marketing of the state's pineapples, the delicious fruit was recently commercially branded with a special logo.

Tripura annually produces 1.28 lakh tonnes of two major varieties -- Kew and Queen -- of pineapples in 8,800 hectares of mountainous orchards across the state and for many years, exporting the pineapples and lemons to many countries and many Indian states as well.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind, at a function in Agartala in 2018, announced the "Queen" variety of pineapple as Tripura's state fruit.

The Minister said that besides pineapples, Tripura also exported a large quantities of jackfruit, tamarind, stone apple, betel leaf, ginger to the UK, Germany, Dubai, Bangladesh and other countries as well as various Indian states.

The minister said that the Kisan Rail and Kisan Udaan schemes, introduced by the Central government, are immensely benefiting the producers and farmers, especially of the northeastern region, by connecting them to the national as well as international markets.