Agartala, July 29 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday sent a consignment of the state’s famous ‘Kew’ variety of pineapples to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a goodwill gesture, officials said.
A total of 100 cartons, each containing six pieces of freshly harvested ‘Kew’ pineapples, were dispatched to Dhaka through the Agartala-Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP), located on the outskirts of the Tripura capital.
A Tripura government official said that officials of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka received the consignment at the ICP for onward transportation and delivery to the Prime Minister’s Office in the Bangladesh capital.
The goodwill gesture by the Tripura Chief Minister comes in response to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent gift of the country’s renowned Hariavanga (Haribhanga) mangoes to Manik Saha.
The official said that a total of 600 pieces of Tripura’s premium ‘Kew’ variety pineapples were sent by the Chief Minister on behalf of the Tripura government as a symbol of friendship and goodwill.
Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department Secretary Apurba Roy was present when the consignment was formally handed over to officials of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka at the Agartala-Akhaura ICP.
Officials of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department said the pineapples were freshly harvested from the state’s orchards to ensure their quality and freshness before being transported to Bangladesh.
Earlier this month, in keeping with a long-standing tradition of exchanging seasonal fruits, the Bangladesh Prime Minister had sent the country’s famous Hariavanga (Haribhanga) mangoes to Chief Minister Manik Saha as a goodwill gift.
Officials of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) in Agartala had received the consignment of the mangoes (300 kg) at the Agartala-Akhaura Integrated Check Post before facilitating its delivery. The highly sought-after Hariavanga (Haribhanga) mango, known for its unique taste and aroma, is among the most popular mango varieties grown in the Rangpur and Dinajpur regions of Bangladesh.
Tripura is widely known for producing high-quality pineapples, with farmers, both tribal and non-tribal, cultivating the ‘Queen’ and ‘Kew’ varieties across the state. The ‘Queen’ variety received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2014, recognising its unique qualities and geographical origin.
In 2018, the Tripura government declared pineapple as the official state fruit. According to Agriculture Department officials, pineapple is cultivated on nearly 12,000 hectares across the state, with an annual production of around 1.78 lakh metric tonnes, making it one of Tripura’s most important horticultural crops and a significant contributor to farmers’ incomes as well as the state’s agricultural exports.
Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country. Official trade in a wide range of commodities, including fish, construction-related raw materials, and numerous beverages, is regularly conducted between the Northeastern state and Bangladesh.
–IANS
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