By News On Air Sep 24, 2026
Mizoram has launched its first ‘Pluck & Pay’ festival in Khawzawl district in the eastern part of the state, offering visitors an opportunity to harvest farm produce themselves and pay farmers directly as the state seeks to expand tourism-led livelihood opportunities in rural communities, officials said.
The three-day festival, being held from September 23 to 25 at Tualte and Chawngtlai villages, has been jointly organised by the state Tourism department and the office of the Khawzawl Deputy Commissioner.
The initiative brings agriculture, horticulture, tourism, local food and community enterprise together, allowing visitors to experience rural life while creating direct economic linkages with farming households, officials said.
Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said the initiative reflected the state’s broader vision of ensuring that tourism benefits the communities hosting visitors.
“The future of tourism is not only about taking visitors to places; it is about creating value for the people who make those places worth visiting,” he said, adding that the government wanted stronger linkages between tourism and villages, farms, entrepreneurs and cultural communities.
Besides farm visits and harvesting, the festival features traditional Mizo music and dance, local cuisine, handicrafts, cultural performances and traditional recreational games, besides visits to historical and tourist sites.
The initiative is aimed at creating an ecosystem in which tourism spending can also support local farmers, homestays, guides, transport operators, artisans and other community-based enterprises. The launch marks the beginning of Mizoram’s 2026 festival season, with the Anthurium Festival at Reiek, Hnahsin Kût in Champhai and Travel Fest in Aizawl among the events lined up in the coming months.
Leitlangpui Music Festival, Winter Festival, Tlaizawng Paradise Festival and Sakawrhmuituai Sunset Event are also scheduled as part of the wider tourism calendar. Official figures presented during the recent state assembly session showed tourist arrivals rising from 4,27,302 in 2024 to 8,41,322 in 2025.
The ‘Pluck & Pay’ initiative seeks to leverage this growing visitor base to increase the participation of rural communities in the state’s tourism economy, officials added.