Shillong, July 22 : In a significant move towards establishing Meghalaya as a key agri-export hub from Northeast India, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 11, 2025, flagged off a 2-metric-tonne consignment of premium organic pineapples from Meghalaya destined for LULU Retail, Dubai. The ceremonial event, held in Shillong, was attended by Meghalaya’s Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma, and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, among other dignitaries.
This initiative underscores Meghalaya’s increasing prominence in the global horticultural value chain and highlights the state government’s ongoing efforts to enhance international market linkages for its distinctive agricultural products.
The export aligns with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s ambitious vision to more than double farmers’ incomes in the state in the coming years. A core element of this vision is the establishment of strong market linkages, enabling Meghalaya’s unique agricultural produce to access premium domestic and international markets. The state is committed to developing large-scale agri-processing units and investing in production interventions to enhance both quality and scale.
A cornerstone of this transformation is the CM Farm+ initiative, which provides farmers with comprehensive support for high-value crop farming, training in best agricultural practices, and knowledge transfer to improve production. These integrated strategies aim to boost farm productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and ultimately improve incomes and livelihoods for rural communities across Meghalaya.
The current pineapple consignment, sourced from farmers of the Jirang Organics Farmer Producer Company in Ri-Bhoi district, showcases the state’s agricultural transformation, supported by the IFAD-backed Megha-LAMP (Meghalaya Livelihoods and Access to Markets Project) initiative. The pineapples have successfully reached Dubai and are now prominently displayed at LULU Hypermarket within Silicon Central Mall, marking another achievement in Meghalaya’s international trade journey.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, the Government of Meghalaya has implemented several groundbreaking initiatives to position the state as a major agri-export hub:
- Direct Export Channels: The state government facilitated the first-ever direct export of GI-tagged Khasi Mandarin to Dubai via air cargo from Guwahati Customs, bypassing conventional routes and ensuring faster and more efficient transportation of perishable, high-value produce.
- Multi-Modal Transport Solutions: Following this success, direct exports of pineapple consignments were initiated with Air India Cargo managing shipments directly from Guwahati. Additionally, Meghalaya successfully executed its first-ever sea shipment of 15 metric tons of organic ginger to Dubai in March 2025, facilitated by the Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) in collaboration with Eastern Ri-Bhoi Organic Farmer Producer Company.
Meghalaya’s export achievements demonstrate significant progress:
- Over 20 metric tons of GI-tagged Khasi Mandarin exported to Middle Eastern markets.
- 10 metric tons of pineapple successfully shipped to Dubai.
- 15 metric tons of organic ginger exported via sea route in March 2025.
These exports highlight the scalability, traceability, and global readiness of Meghalaya’s organic value chains.
The government has invested significantly in farmer education and international market exposure. A delegation including officials from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and eight progressive farmers undertook a Market Exposure Visit to Dubai from March 16-18, 2025. During this visit, farmers interacted with wholesale buyers at Aweer Market, participated in a promotional showcase at Our Wellness Village Café in Sharjah, and witnessed their products displayed alongside leading international brands at Lulu Hypermarket, Silicon Oasis. This initiative enabled farmers to better understand global consumer preferences, branding standards, and packaging benchmarks.
The partnership between LULU Group International and Meghalaya was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Meghalaya State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) in November 2023 at World Food India, New Delhi, facilitated by APEDA.
During a recent visit by an 8-member delegation led by Salim MA, Director – Global Operations, LULU Group expressed a comprehensive commitment towards:
- Increasing trade volumes of Meghalaya products through global retail networks.
- Focusing on procurement and promotion of value-added and processed products.
- Supporting branding and marketing of GI-tagged and organic products from Meghalaya.
- Assisting with modern and attractive packaging solutions.
- Creating sustainable sourcing models to enhance farmer incomes.
- Expanding product categories to include spices and processed agro-products.
LULU’s extensive sourcing network, spanning 85 countries, mitigates supply risks and ensures high-quality product availability year-round. This global reach positions Meghalaya’s produce within a sophisticated retail ecosystem that serves over 650,000 daily shoppers across the GCC region. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma emphasized the vision behind this partnership, stating, “Our focus is on ensuring maximum efficiency with the investments we make, so that the volume of products reaching international markets continues to grow.”
The flag-off ceremony by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman symbolizes Meghalaya’s transformation from a traditional agricultural state to a globally competitive exporter of premium organic produce. This milestone reflects the state’s broader ambition to create “sustainable, high-value market opportunities for Meghalaya’s farmers while positioning the state as a competitive player in the international organic and GI-tagged product space.” With products now reaching premium retail outlets in Dubai and strong institutional partnerships in place, Meghalaya’s agricultural sector is poised for continued growth in international markets.
