NERAMAC’s GI initiative to user, authorizes 300 Queen Pineapple farmers

The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) under the Ministry of DoNER, Government of India had undertaken Geographical Indication (GI) certification of 13 products of the North Eastern Region of which the Queen Pineapple of Tripura is one.

Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath inaugurated a programme on authorizing 300 farmers to use GI tagging of the NERAMAC processed certification and a GI Awareness Seminar held at Pragna Bhawan on Friday. The Minister in the programme said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to improve the quality of living of the farmers and increase their income is unprecedented. He said, GI initiative is part of the government of India’s broader efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, protect the right of farmers and enhance the country’s agricultural exports. He also said, apart from Queen Pineapple, there are different types of crops and produce which carry the chance of GI tagging. The Minister called upon the concerned officials to take necessary initiative for the same in future. The initiative has been welcomed by the farming community of Tripura and is expected to boost their morale and confidence in the traditional farming practices, said Nath.

GI expert and Padma Shri Awardee Dr. Rajni Kant Dwivedi also spoke on the occasion about the importance of North Eastern Region (NER) specific Geographical Indication (GI) products and emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to promote NER region-specific GI products. Dr. Dwivedi’s insights shed light on the importance of promoting and protecting NER region-specific GI products which not only protect the unique identity and quality of the products but also create employment opportunities for local communities. He also lauded the quality of the Queen Pineapple. Managing Director of NERAMAC, Commodore Rajiv Ashok (Retd) in his welcome speech said, as a result of GI tagging, the Queen Pineapples of Tripura will get recognition for its unique quality and gain further popularity.

Secretary Apurba Roy, Director of Horticulture and  Soil Conservation department Phani Bhushan Jamatia, Director of Agriculture department Saradindu Das and NABARD General (Tripura) Loken Das were also present in the event. Over 200 Queen Pineapple Producers attended the event.