AGARTALA, May 05 (TIWN): Pineapple cultivators of Tripura’s North and Dhalai district are worried as NERAMAC yet to take any initiative for procuring pineapples, this season. Reportedly for last four years, the food processing unit , a Government of India (GoI) Enterprise, set up a factory at Nalkata in North district of Tripura nearby 44 NH in 1997 did not procure any.

The unit fitted with modern machineries imported from Japan, Russia and Italy, NERAMAC rekindled hope amongst cultivators. NERAMAC intervenes in sourcing, procuring and marketing horticulture products like pineapples. The organization also extends assistance to farmers under Horticulture Mission Schemes of GoI. Obviously NERAMAC infused enthusiasm among the farmers and pineapple cultivation became main occupation of several ethnic tribes living in the area.

Initially 46 employees were inducted and the factory was supposed to produce 50 MT pineapple juice every day. However, within one year since inception, NERAMAC’s down slide started and poor tribal farmers’ dreams started to be shattered. Inefficient management in running administration, lack of willingness among the officials to support poor farmers etc coupled with massive irregularities and negligence contributed a pre-mature death of NERAMAC’s journey in Tripura and farmers are again forced in selling their produces at throw away prices and rotting rate is exuberantly high. Presently, costly imported machineries of NERAMAC  are laying unattended.

Tripura is famous for pineapples of excellent taste and world class quality. Pity, cultivators have no access to basic infrastructures like proper storage, packaging facilities etc. As pineapple is highly perishable item, lack of these facilities forced farmers into distress sales every year. A possibility of earning foreign currency by exporting high quality pineapples produced in Tripura is dimming because of improper planning and dynamic initiatives by the Government.