Pineapple farmers upbeat over rising prices

Increasing prices of pineapple have brought the hopes of stable returns for the farming group this harvest year immediately after two consecutive years of distress.

“Since January, we are receiving improved prices with farm gate rate of GI-tagged Vazhakulam pineapple unique grade fetching ₹29 per kg and the normal green selection ₹26. Ripe fruits command ₹30. Retail prices have also doubled from the farm gate level,” Infant John, president, Pineapple Growers Association Keralam, informed BusinessLine.

He attributed the northward rate movement to a fifteen per cent fall in output from previous year’s figure of four lakh tonnes. Numerous little and medium farmers have stayed absent from pineapple cultivation immediately after suffering losses due to floods in the previous two years.

The 12 months 2018 was distressing for the sector due to the fact of floods, glut in the market place and extraordinary climatic conditions. Local climate transform had produced a dull market place that led to the decline in prices, dragging wholesale fees to ₹10 a kg.

Even so, the current surge in prices is apparent in the movement of the fruit to Delhi and other upcountry markets where the ordinary truckload rose to 300 tonnes a working day. Delhi is a great market place for unique grade pineapple, while Maharashtra is the biggest market place for other grades, John explained.

Even so, exports have not still picked up and shipments to abroad markets were negligible at .5 per cent of the overall output. To garner a big share in the export market place, John prompt the cultivation of MD2 varieties, which has a for a longer period shelf existence and is acceptable for processing. The Condition govt should really inspire the cultivation of this selection with a buyback arrangement with farmers, he explained, adding that Niti Aayog has just lately built enquiries on the prospective customers of cultivating MD2 varieties.

Agriculture pro PP Joy explained supplemental irrigation in the absence of suitable summertime showers all through this dry spell would be helpful to the crop. The Vazhakulam pineapple market place should really be modernised to steer clear of handling losses that stand at almost twenty per cent, he additional.