Pineapple | Photo: Mathrubhumi
Kothamangalam (Ernakulam): The hostile weather and the price drop have given a tough time for the pineapple farmers in the state. Though the government declared a minimum price for pineapple, the farmers do not get any benefit from this. They get only Rs 10-12 per kilogram while the minimum price is Rs 15.
The farmers said that they have no idea how and where they can get the minimum price. This price is not sufficient to get even half of the invested amount. About 100 tonnes of pineapple per day was sent to Delhi. However, this was stopped due to the road blockade and protests.
Meanwhile, seasonal fruits like apple and orange conquered the market and this affected the demand for pineapple. The farmers said that the price is not even half of the amount they used to get last year. They hesitate to harvest as the expense cannot be balanced from selling the fruits.
The price dropped after the farmers leased land and spent a huge amount for cultivating pineapple. Merchants also do not buy pineapple as it has low demand in the market. For this, harvest has been temporarily stopped, said pineapple farmer Binoy Mannancherry.
Fruits are getting perished as the harvest was stopped. The minimum price also did not help the farmers. The number of farmers and merchants who withdraw from the field increases gradually during every season.
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