Tripura's pineapple
farmers are facing double trouble this year as the production and demand is
less because of the smaller size of the fruit.
Farmers complained
that a poor monsoon during the fruit's flowering season has also contributed to
poor sales.
Farmers are also
being deprived of a good price because markets in neighbouring Bangladesh are
closed.
"At present,
many are shifting from pineapple cultivation as the demand is reducing and the
market price is also reducing as pineapples are not going to Bangladesh. Many
have even shifted to rubber cultivation but we are continuing with pineapple.
If the government helps us then we hope the orchard will further develop with
better production. Number of pineapple production is less as rainfall has
decreased and after paying the labrourers it is not very profitable," said
Dulal Deb, a forty year experience pineapple grower.
He complained that
the state government is not attentive towards improving the horticultural crop
besides making arrangement for allowing the pineapple farmers to sell their
products in the border hats with Bangladesh to get better returns and due to
which farmers are also losing interest in pineapple.
"The government
should come forward to preserve the pineapples of which Tripura boast but its
production is gradually diminishing as the government is not caring for
it," he added.
According to him, if
farmers could arrange irrigation in their orchard, then they would not depend
on nature for water and their production would be better and profitable but it
is impossible on their part without government's help.
While for some
farmers there is huge expense in maintaining pineapple orchards which require
proper irrigation and good number of laborers almost throughout the year. But
at present growing the crowned queen of the fruit is not very encouraging and
hence is converting their orchards into rubber plantations.
Another orchard owner
Rafik Mia said, "This year the production has been less compared to last
year and the price is between Rs 12 to Rs 10... Along with pineapple I have
also started rubber cultivation because it is profitable. I have started
separate rubber cultivation but many others stopped pineapple and shifter to
rubber".
In Tripura, pineapple
is one of the major fruit crop in terms of area and as per the statistics the
state prodces around 45000 metric tons pineapples, out of which Kew is
contributing lion shares in production followed by the Queen variety.
Productivity of
pineapple per hectare in Tripura is 18.73 tonnes, which is higher than the
national average of 15.80 tonnes but farers apprehend with the present scenario
they will not be able to continue to bear the loss it if continues in such
manner.
Fruit vendors also
complained that as due to scanty rainfall the harvest of pineapple is less and
size of the fruit is small so the price is more but again due to this less
number of people could effort to get the taste of this sweet fruit.
Sukumar Sil, a
businessman said, "I have been selling pineapples from this orchard for
the last 25 years but this time the size of the fruits are little smaller but
the market price is very less. I have my shop in Maharajganja Bazar and somehow
my business is going on and it is not in very good as the market is fluctuating
but we hope business will soon improve."
While another vendor
Sanjib Saha said: "This year we have send around 10,000 pineapples outside
and price of each piece at present is Rs 10 because due to rain the price has
slashed. I rail connectivity starts then produces can be sent outside which
will fetch better price."
They moreover added
that another reason behind the production of pineapple is because many farmers
are now shifting from pineapple to rubber which is more profitable as it is
gradually becoming very tough for them to continue producing pineapple in their
orchard.
But the silver lining
for the pineapple farmers is the improving broad-gauge rail connectivity and
opening of India-Bangladesh border haats. The pineapple growers are hopeful to
sell their products outside the state in the coming days and get better returns
as there is a huge market of the fruit.
Representative
Image
Source: ANI
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