Imphal, june 29: State Commerce and Industries Minister, Govindas Konthoujam today inaugurated the 7th State Level Pineapple Fair cum Youth Festival 2014 at the Thambalnu Market Complex, Poiroupat Lamkhai under Andro A/c organised by the Development Organisation Andro Kendra (DOAK).
Speaking to the occasion, Minister Govinda said that with the production rate of Pineaples increasing gradually the state government is all set to install a Pineapple Extraction Unit at a suitable place of Andro AC under the PPP model. Machineries required for installing the unit will be provided to the interested private farm.
This year recorded about 5.6 quintals of Pineapple production which is a good sign of development in fruit processing sector, said he.
He said that Manipur will be an important hotspot someday in the light of India’s look east policy. The state will be the immediate gateway which would connect the countries in south east asia. The youths of the state need to capture the opportunity of the policy. Otherwise the state will be a dumping site.
Despite we are talented and intellectual in various fields, we are lack of work culture and unable to properly utilise our talents which regress the state. We need to have work culture for development, the Minister said.
Stating that the pineapples of the state has unique taste and high demand from Punjab, Haryana and other states, he said that Pineapple farmers of the state require to increase the present production rate to meet the increasing demand. When the farmers can export pineapples to other states, it will help promote the economy of the state to some extent.
The Pineapple festival organized under the aegis of local MLA Th Shyamkumar is for the purpose of collective welfare of the farmers in the state while encouraging sale of their pineapple to improve the economic status of the farmers.
The opening function was attended by MLA Th. Shyamkumar as President and Kh. Ratankumar, Mission Director, Horticulture and Soil Conservation.
MLA Th Shyamkumr said that with a view to encourage the farmers of the state to produce more pineapples in the state and eventually export them to other states. Though the state pineapple is very much in demand, the production is very little and as such there is not much export to outside states. The state farmers need to produce more and improve their own economic status.
The festival will conclude on july 3.
