mandarin
orange grown in Meghalaya is considered
to be of very high quality. Mushroom,
Potato, Ginger, Turmeric, Black Pepper,
Arecanut, Tezpatta, Betelvine, Short-staple cotton,
Jute, Mesta, Mustard and Rapseed etc. are some of
the important cash crops in the State. Lying in the
cradle of the tall pine conifers and pineapple shrubs
Meghalaya is the hub for Pineapples.
Meghalaya is an agricultural State known for its Organic Farming. Being
rich in Pineapple one can find many food processing industries operating
successfully in this state.
Pineapple variety found in this part of North East is
the Kew variety. Kew variety is
a late-maturing pineapple variety and is the leading commercial variety
in India. It is valued particularly for it's canning quality. Fruit weighs
2-3kg, and is oblong in shape, slightly tapering towards the crown. Eyes
are broad and shallow making fruits more suitable for canning. The fruit
is yellow when fully ripe and flesh is light yellow, almost fibreless,
and very juicy with 0.6-1.2% acid, and its TSS content varies from 12-16
Brix.
India is ranked fifth with
a share of 8.2 % of the total production of pineapples in
the world with the major part of the crop coming
from the North eastern states of India.
Cashew nut is another agricultural
crop that is extensively grown in West and South
Garo Hills of Meghalaya. However the bulk of the
produce is sold outside the State as raw products.
Areca nut plantations can also be seen all over
the state.
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