Mizoram launches 'Pluck & Pay' festival to connect tourists with rural farms

Mizoram inaugurated its first 'Pluck & Pay' Festival on September 23 in Tualte and Chawngtlai villages of Khawzawl district. The three-day event, running through September 25, enables visitors to enter local farms, pick fruits and vegetables, and pay for their harvest. The initiative aims to integrate farming communities into the state's tourism economy.

Jointly organised by the Mizoram Tourism Department and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, the festival includes traditional music, dance, local cuisine, handicrafts and Mizo games alongside farm activities. Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar emphasised that the model ensures tourism revenue flows directly to host communities.

The festival is designed to generate broader economic benefits for villages by creating demand for farm produce, homestays, local transport, guides and cultural services. It reflects Mizoram's broader strategy to expand tourism beyond conventional sightseeing by promoting community-based and cultural tourism across rural destinations.