Sounds like a "delicious" plan!

Say, “Tripura” and what comes to mind is good cotton and its sarees are famous all over the world. This small town in North-east India has made a mark for itself in the global map. Thus when someone associated ‘pineapples’ with exports from Tripura, it did raise eyebrows in wonder.

The Govt is pushing the region to boost export of fruits and vegetables and a batch of pineapple was the first to fly overseas, to Dubai. In fact private sector carrier, Spicejet offered the state a much lower rate to carry the consignment (1.2 tonne) of fruit from Guwahati to Delhi from where it was transported to Dubai. The next consignment is now awaiting a take off.

The region is blessed abundance of nature and great, fertile soil and its great that this initiative has been taken. The biggest drawback is the high cost of transportation for shipment of perishable cargo due to which most of the fruits and vegetables grown in this region find it difficult to compete with the produce coming from other parts of the country.

The region has one of the richest reservoirs of genetic variability and diversity of various kinds of fruits, vegetables, spices, ornamental plants, medicinal and aromatic plants. Some of the key fruits and vegetables which have export potential from the region include Nagaland’s pineapples, Meghalaya’s ginger and turmeric, Manipur black rice and passion fruit, and the badi elaichi from Arunachal and Sikkim.

Indeed Incredible India!