In Manipur, State Organic Mission Agency has started exporting locally grown organic pineapples to different cities through air cargo from today.<br />''<br />''Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh flagged off the first shipment of 1.2 MT Pineapples in a simple function held at Imphal International Airport. The targeted quantity to be exported this year is 220 MT.<br />''<br />''During 2018 and 2019, the agency exported a total of 250 MT of organic pineapples to cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mumbai etc. This year as well, the agency will export queen variety of pineapples to these with assistance from a local private company. <br />''These pineapples were grown and produced under the Phase-II of Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the North East Region (MOVCDNER).<br />''<br />''Demand for locally grown organic pineapples has witnessed a steep rise in different cities in the past couple of years due to its unique taste and dedicated efforts from growers and the agency which comes under the State government.<br />''Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Minister said that farmers need not worry for the market to sell their products now. Assuring that the Government would buy all their products, he informed that a corpus fund of Rs 3 crore has been created for this purpose by the Government.<br />''<br />''Mentioning about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popular slogan, 'Vocal for Local', the Chief Minister opined that the State needs to work hard to change and upgrade indigenous and local products into the items of global standard. This would serve as a lucrative means for generating income for farmers and people of the State.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Later, the Chief Minister distributed power tillers, tractors, brush cutters and quality planting materials to different Farmers' Producer Companies in another function. The function was organized by the Department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation at its office premises located at Sanjenthong.</span><br />