New Delhi, July 11: The second day of the 4th Meghalaya Pineapple Festival witnessed enthusiastic participation at Dilli Haat, with visitors thronging the venue to experience Meghalaya’s premium pineapples, interact with farmers and entrepreneurs, and explore the state’s rich culinary and cultural heritage.
The festival, organised under the theme “Bigger, Better, Bolder,” continued to promote Meghalaya’s naturally grown pineapples while strengthening market linkages between the state’s farmers and buyers from across the country.
Visitors interacted directly with farmers and entrepreneurs from major pineapple-growing regions, including Ri-Bhoi and the Garo Hills, learning about the state’s natural cultivation practices and the quality that has made Meghalaya’s pineapples nationally renowned.
Prin Ronghang, Chairman of Mawpyllun IVCS, described participating in the festival as a dream come true, saying it had enabled farmers to showcase their produce to consumers in the national capital. He said the biggest benefit of the event was the opportunity to interact directly with buyers and consumers, while expressing gratitude to the Meghalaya Government and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for their continued support to the farming community.
Ronghang said Mawpyllun IVCS has participated in every edition of the festival since 2023 and noted that demand for Meghalaya’s pineapples and other agricultural produce has steadily increased over the years, reflecting the festival’s growing success in expanding market opportunities for farmers.
The festival’s dedicated business-to-business (B2B) platform facilitated interactions between farmer collectives, retail chains, institutional buyers and food processors, aimed at strengthening commercial partnerships and expanding market access.
The Chef’s Experience also remained a major attraction, with visitors sampling innovative pineapple-based dishes, including roasted pineapple, pineapple salad and pineapple chutney.
Among the visitors, Dipti Arora praised the quality and variety of the dishes, while Renhya Umbrey, a horticulture student at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, said the festival had provided a valuable platform for farmers from the Northeast to showcase their produce and receive the recognition they deserve.
The cultural segment of the festival featured live performances under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Grassroots Music Programme (MGMP). The Garo music group The Peru, formed in 2025, credited the programme for helping them gain wider exposure and described their performance in New Delhi as the biggest milestone in their musical journey. The band thanked the Meghalaya Government and Tourism Department for providing a platform to present Garo music before a national audience.
The festival follows a successful opening day on July 10, during which Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited the exhibition stalls and interacted with farmers and entrepreneurs. The inaugural day also witnessed the signing of strategic Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Flipkart and National E-Markets Limited (NeML) to strengthen digital and national market access for Meghalaya’s pineapple growers.
The Meghalaya Pineapple Festival will continue at Dilli Haat, New Delhi, until July 12, remaining open to visitors daily from 12 noon to 9 pm.
