PINWAPPLE FARMERS SEEK BETTER DEAL

PINWAPPLE FARMERS SEEK BETTER DEAL

As the government has finalised the plan to take over the Agro Processing Factory at Nadukkara near Vazhakkulam by raising its stake to 51 per cent, pineapple farmers demand that they also be given a better deal by enhancing the procurement price from the current Rs 12 a kg to Rs 16 a kg.The demand came at Pineapple Utsav 2014, the biennial three-day festival at Vazhakkulam near Muvattupuzha, which concluded on Monday.“With pineapple starting to get a market price of Rs 22-23 a kg in the last one week, the Pineapple Mission under the government should raise the procurement price,” said  Jose Peumbillikunnel, chairman of the organizing committee for Pineapple Utsav and president of Moovattupuzha block panchayat.

Pineapple had recently seen a slump in price (going below Rs 10 a kg) following glut in production. Following this, the Nadukkara factory had started procuring the fruit at RS 12 a kg.There are over 1,000 farmers cultivating pineapple as a commercial crop over 25,000 acres in Vazhakkulam alone. But the farmers have always been at the receiving end of instability in price. “The only way out is to develop more value-added products from pineapple,” Jose said, while citing the Taiwan example of manufacturing yarn from pineapple leaves.He also hoped that the Pineapple Mission, created in the last budget of the state government, would take steps like providing subsidy as an incentive for farmers.  The Pinapple Utsav, which also had cultural evenings, was visited by around 40,000 people.

Prof. John Kurakar