Pineapple price hike turns bitter for Kerala's Vazhakulam farmers
KOCHI: Despite prices hitting a record high, the pineapple farmers of Vazhakulam are depressed as there has been a steep decline in production. The arrival of rain did not hamper the demand in the north Indian market, but the pineapple market in Vazhakulam is unable to provide even half the required quantity of fruits. The slump in production has led to a spike in prices and it hit a record high of Rs 62 per kg last week. On Thursday, the price stood at Rs 55 per kg.
'Normally, the Vazhakulam market sends around 1,500 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes of pineapple to various states a day. However, now, the daily business has declined to 700 tonnes a day. As the summer was harsh last year, the farmers had taken precautions to delay the flowering of plants to avoid total loss.
The fruit normally ripens around 120 days after flowering. The production is expected to return to normal in another 30 days. Though there will be a decline in demand after the onset of monsoon, the demand will rise again by August,' said All Kerala Pineapple Farmers Association president James George.
Meanwhile, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has initiated steps to help the farmers export pineapple by sea. As the air freight charge is unaffordable, the farmers are facing difficulty in finding new markets.
Though there is demand for the sweet and juicy Vazhakulam pineapple in West Asia and Europe, the high freight charge is posing a challenge. The pineapple research station in Vazhakulam has developed a sea shipment protocol and the field trials are expected to start soon.
However, Manna Pineapples, a private firm in Vazhakulam, has shipped six consignments of pineapple to Dubai this year. The consignments of 16 tonnes each are sent in reefer containers, maintaining ambient temperature.
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