Imphal, August 28: After a brief deferment the first ever pineapple festival in a hill area would be organised at Khousabung village of Churachandpur district on August 30 .

In addition to show-casing plentiful produce of the juicy fruit plant, other highlight of the festival will include music concert and beauty contest themed Manipur Pineapple Queen.

Although a village settled on the slope of Thangjing Hills and within the administrative ambit of Churachandpur district, Khousabung is easily accessible from Ngangkha Lawai junction along Tiddim Line.

secretary of the festival committee, Gin Gangte conveyed that there are over 300 pineapple growers in Khousabung and surrounding villages such as Bunglon where the plantation is being taken up in over 1000 acres.

The opening ceremony of the Festival would be graced by the presence of horticulture minister T Phungzathnag, MLA T Manga Vaiphei, Deputy Commissioner (Churachandpur) Sumant Singh and social worker Amrik Singh Pahwa.

Gin Gangte, who hails from Bunglon and the same person who was instrumental for the then President APJ Abdul Kalam personally visited the remote Bunglon village and donated 10 computers to Bunglon high school three years ago said "a spectrum of traditional dance would also be staged by different troupes belonging to Thadou-Kuki, Komrem community etc".

Interacting with news-persons today he further said over fifty farmers have so far registered for participating the festival and "we would also give away cash prize and certificates to the cultivators who display the best and healthy pineapples in the festival".

Churachandpur district is said to be largest producer of pineapple with annual output touching the 70 lakhs fruit followed by Senapati with 40 lakhs.

According to the festival's secretary the primary objective for hosting such an event is to bring pineapple cultivators under one common platform, enable them to air problems and practical difficulties in marketing the fruits and exhibit their success story to the people.

Recounting on pineapple cultivation Gin Gangte said in 1947 one Singpu Gangte brought 40 pineapple plants from Lakhipur in Assam and cultivated the same at Khousabung village and his yeomen service have endowed pineapple cultivation as the villagers' main occupation.

"We will posthumously honour him on the festival day," he said.

As a matter of fact pineapples deserve due recognition and its rightful place by declaring it as a state fruit by the state government.

The government should also recognize Manipur pineapple festival as a state event to encourage the cultivators, Gangte said.

"Since there is limited market in selling the pineapples within the state we are hoping that the state horticulture dept help cultivators in expanding their market beyond Manipur and do the needful to give technical know-how to boost their cultivation," he advocated.

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