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The Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur is organizing the 7th State Level Manipur Pineapple Festival on August 23 & 24, 2014 at Sendra in Bishnupur District of Manipur. The festival has been organized successfully since 2008, aimed at promotion of pineapple as a viable cash crops in Manipur.

 Seilenmang Khongsai, Project Director, Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur said that the two-day event is aimed at promoting pineapple for larger cultivation in Manipur. He said that hectic preparations are in full swing and consultation of all stake holders are taking place at every levels. Elated by the success of the previous festivals, the project director is hopeful of participation of pineapple farmers in a big way.

23rd August : The first day of the festival will comprises event such as Manipur Pineapple Show Contest, Farmers Seminar and Free Medical Campaign for farmers. Like the previous years, the Manipur Pineapple Show Contest, aimed at promoting production of healthy pineapple will be examined in details by experts from concerned department. In the contest where all pineapple farmers  are eligible for participation, the Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee has arranged prizes for winners as follows:

First Prize : Rs 60, 000.00 ( Sixty Thousand )

Second Prize : Rs 40, 000.00 (Forty Thousand)

Third Prize : Rs 30, 000.00.00 (Thirty Thousand )

It is imperative that only those farmers who owned pineapple farms can participate in the contest and that the pineapples which are showcased for the competition must be from his/her pineapple farms.

24th August: The second day of the festival will be devoted for celebration, which will be marked by the Manipur Pineapple Queen contest on the theme ‘Beauty for Grassroots Development’. The prize for the contest is as follows:

First prize : Rs 50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand)

Second prize : Rs 40, 000.00 (Forty Thousand)

Third prize : Rs 30, 000.00 (Thirty Thousand)

There will be five sub-titles carrying a cash prize of Rs 5,000 (Five Thousand each)

Aimed at making Manipur, the pineapple capital of India, the second day of the festival will witness World Largest Pineapple Eating Session, an attempt for entry into the books of World Records. The Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur is expecting a minimum of ten thousand people to take part in making Manipur entry into the club of World Records holders.

Appeal to the Government of Manipur: With the 7th State Level Manipur Pineapple Festival is going to be celebrated in a big way, the Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur has fervently appealed to the government of Manipur for coming up with concrete horticulture policy in Manipur. It may be mentioned that, since there is no horticulture policy in the state, the farmers are left high and dry without getting any form of assistance from the government, be it technical support, financial or market link. As such, the farmers are left to their own fate. The Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur also appealed to the Government of Manipur for setting up of cold storage at the earliest. The Committee, once again  appealed to the Government of Manipur for recognition of State Level Manipur Pineapple Festival as a ‘State Festival’ and declaration of Pineapple as ‘State Fruits’, considering that pineapple is the largest fruits produced in Manipur and the historical standing that pineapple has been cultivated since the 17th century during the time of King Paikhomba. These are the long-standing demands of the Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur, which has been unattended till today, which is unfortunate, to say the least. The Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur is hopeful that the above demands be fulfilled by the Government as a festival gift for the pineapple farmers of Manipur.

( Seilenmang Khongsai )

Project Director

Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee, Manipur.