In a bid to increase the income of the local farmers, the pineapples from the East Garo Hills of Meghalaya have been exported to the Middle East. As the latest batch of exports, a consignment of the fruit is now available in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Meghalaya is the home of some of the best quality fruits and vegetables. These include the Lakadong turmeric, Khasi mandarin and Kew pineapples. These are gaining popularity not only in the domestic markets but also in the international ones. These are mostly organically cultivated, with very low amounts of pesticides and other contaminants. As per the One District One Product initiative, pineapple is the chosen product for the Ri Bhoi and East Garo Hills District of the state.
The Azadi the Amrit Mahotsav of India is being celebrated by the Al-Wahda Mall of Abu Dhabi. As a part of the celebration, fruits and vegetables from different parts of the country have been imported for sale. The pineapples from the East Garo Hills District are also a part of this lot. The Lulu Group has been actively working towards making fruits and vegetables from the region being made available in the UAE.
The Jamge Integrated Village Cooperative Society from Sangsok Community and Rural Development Block has been instrumental in this project. Jamge IVCS has worked with the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency for this. The consignment of pineapples was collected from the local farmers.
The cooperative society collected the fruits from over 250 households. These households are spread across four villages in the East Garo Hills district. The consignment comprised a total of a 100 tonnes of fruit, giving considerable income directly to the farmers. Farmers who used to get Rs 10 per piece have received Rs 16 per kilo because of this deal.
The government is also looking into processing and preserving perishable horticulture produce. This increases the shelf life manifold enabling a much wider market reach. They are also working towards improving the supply chain.
