: Biting into a juicy pineapple is not all; efforts are on to make it a major fruit on the platter in the international market.
Not just as a whole fruit, but a whole range of pineapple products would be given a major promotion.
Already endowed with a Geographical Indication tag, the State is planning to step in to promote Vazhakulam pineapples with a global branding for the product.
Pineapple Fest, beginning on Friday at Vazhakulam, would be scouting for possible trade partners from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and West Asia who would be interested in adding value to the fruit and marketing it with the GI tag in the international market.
The State too intends to step up its efforts in the domestic market with technology exchange to diversify the products.
For the people’s palate, the Agriculture Department had also come up with a recipe brochure for pineapple pickles, pineapple vodka, grilled pineapple, pineapple lassi, pineapple cake, pineapple boli and a number of other items, including the traditional curries.
Even though the Mauritius variety of Vazhakkulam pineapples had got the GI tag in 2009, the farmers had taken a beating with prices coming down quite a few times in the recent past.
Exporting the whole fruit had been difficult due to its short shelf life. Very few value-added products are being made from pineapple here even though there are new technologies available.
Addressing a press meet with regard to the three-day Pineapple Fest, Joseph Vazhakkan, MLA, said on Thursday that the State would recharge and orient Vazhakkulam Agro and Fruit Processing Company Ltd. for taking up the new role in global branding too.
Even though the cultivation area for pineapple is not fixed, about 14,000 hectares of land in the State under pineapple cultivation, worth Rs. 750 crore. For a farmer, it is beneficial if the market price does not fall below Rs. 20 a kg.
Jose Perumpillykkunel, chairman of Pineapple Fest; Jose Kalappura, president, Pineapple Farmers Association; Antony Vettiyankal, convener; and Ismail Rawther, Director, Kerala Pineapple Mission; took part in the press meet.
The Fest will be inaugurated by Agriculture Minister K. P. Mohanan at 5.30 p.m. on Friday. An investors’ meet, farmers’ meet and Pineapple Youth Meet in which James Joseph, founder of Jackfruit 365.com, would take part, will be part of the Fest.
