27-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Decline in demand forces TN Dindigul sapota farmers to switch crop
DINDIGUL: The bulk of the sapota (chikku) farmers in Dindigul district have slowly moved away from cultivating the fruit owing to a steady decline in demand over the last few years and the low price – as low as Rs 20 per kg – offered by the traders. As per official records, the gross area of sapota cultivation in the district has been on a constant decline, shrinking from 1,715 hectares in 2011 to 800 hectares in 2024.
K Thangapandi, a farmer from Jamnadadurai Kottai Panchayat who cultivated sapota in five acres, told TNIE, 'One acre of sapota, with small and medium-sized trees, could yield more than one tonne. As traders demand a low price for the fruit and a lack of commercial units processing the fruit to make food products, many farmers have opted for the cultivation for other crops.
I converted my land to cultivate gooseberries.' He said that though the tree's lifespan is around 20 to 25 years, the yield drops after a period of time. After removing the trees, farmers generally choose a different crop for crop rotation. 'Besides, farmers faced a severe loss during the Cyclone Gaja in 2018, which forced several of them who had cultivated sapota in hundreds of acres to opt for a different crop,' he added.
