Here is a good news for Pineapple growers of Kishanganj, as telecom Mogul and Airtel owner Sunil Bharti Mittal has shown interest in setting up pineapple processing unit in the north-eastern district of Bihar. Authentic sources said that a team of officials of Bharti Enterprises Group has made several visits to Kishanganj to take land on lease for pineapple cultivation and setting up of a processing unit.
When Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited Kishanganj in first week of June during his ‘Seva Yatra’ the thousands of Pineapple grower sought to give attention to their cultivation. In fact, Pineapple growers of the district have called for setting up of an export zone to boost the quantum of pineapple trade with foreign countries particularly Bangladesh.
It should be noted that Kishanganj is one of the biggest pineapple producing districts of Bihar where more than 50, 000 people are directly or indirectly dependent on the cultivation of pineapple for their livelihood. Along with Kishanganj, nowadays, pineapple is also grown in the districts of Araria, Katihar, Purnia and Saharsa. About 10,000 tonnes of pineapple is produced annually in Kishangnaj itself, which is very high in comparison to nearby districts.
As per reports, about 50 percent small and marginal farmer of Bahadurganj, Thakurganj and Pothia along with neighbouring areas are involved in pineapple cultivation. According to district officials, nearly 5000 acres of land are under cultivation in Thakurganj, Pothia and Bahadurganj blocks of Kishanganj. However, in the absence of proper market and government support the farmers unwillingly sell their valuable produce in the local markets of Kishanganj, Islampur, Raiganj and Bidhannagar in West Bengal. The big suppliers buy the fruits at nominal rates and export the same to several big cities in India and neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan at higher prices.
Situated on the Bihar and West Bengal border, the area of Kishanganj produces two famous varieties of pineapple – Giant Kew (big size) and Queen (small size) – on a commercial scale. The variety produced in Kishangnaj is qualitatively better with high sugar content and less fiber. The pineapple cultivators of Kishanganj region want proper price for their yield and also wish to export their produce directly to major cities of the country and foreign countries as well. At the same the farmers also want setting up of processing units. The giant variety of pineapple having a distinct flavour is best suited for canning. And a food processing unit in the area can add more value to the pineapple cultivation in Kishanganj.
The plan of Bharti Enterprises to set up processing unit in Kishanganj is a welcome move. A better future can be expected for the growers of pineapple and also the area of Kishanganj, as the processing unit will also generate huge employment opportunities as well at various levels.
