That the soil on Pachamalai hills is rich and suitable for agricultural and horticultural crops can be gauged from the fact that a variety of crops are being cultivated successfully by the tribal farmers.
Pineapple cultivation is one of the latest activity in which farmers have made a debut on the hills.
Although the area under the crop is sporadic and not knit together in a cluster, the farmers say that they raised the crop wherever they had extra or unused space.
“It takes at least six months for the full growth of a fruit,” says Mani, one of the farmer-educators working on the hills, guiding the farmers to the latest agricultural practices.
He said that though the fruit is seen in several villages across the hills, tribal farmers have not been properly guided to take pineapple cultivation on a more commercial basis.
Extra care
Farmers said that they have to take additional care to protect the crop from rodent menace.
Only one fruit is allowed to grow at a plant with a specific length of five feet in length.
Farmers say that adequate training and guidance would go a long way in utilising the soil condition of the hills. The timely rain also adds to the deliciousness of the fruit. Most farmers say that the crop is raised only for personal consumption.
