Pineapple farmers say it will be a long road to supply recovery after vast swathes of plantations with harvestable fruits and juvenile plants have been affected by heatwave conditions prevailing across the State. Lack of rain, excluding occasional showers in central Kerala, and spiralling cost and scarcity of suckers have derailed plans for replanting.
“It will be a long road to recovery. We may see the current fruit supplies up to December this year,” said veteran farmer Baby John in Vazhakulam. Farmers like him say that up to 40% of the fruit crop has been destroyed. “This is a sober estimate,” he said, pointing out that in some places where there has been no rainfall since early February the losses may be heavier.
Data showed what many weather watchers called “record breaking” heat wave conditions in Kerala in April. While Palakkad continued to be at the centre of attention, a major pineapple growing area like Kottayam too saw temperature rise to 38.5 degree celsius on April 28, higher than the highest recorded 38.3 degrees in early April 2020. Temperature in Ernakulam district varied between 34.4 degrees and 37.3 degrees on the same day.
The average rainfall in Kerala too is through a period of large deficit. Between March 1, 2024 and April 29, 2024, the State received an average of 51.8 mm of rain against the normal 136.3 mm, which is a 62% deficit. Large pineapple growing districts like Ernakulam and Kottayam have experienced 15% and 46% deficiency in rain respectively compared to the long-term average.
Pineapple trader Joe Joe in Vazhakkulam said the quality of the fruit had been seriously affected by the heat conditions. The loss of weight is the most obvious because it pushes down the quality of the fruit from grade A to lower grades. Irrigation is impossible in most of the plantations and farmers are in dire straits especially in areas where irrigation water used to be available in the past.
Crop loss has immediately been reflected in the rising price of pineapple. According to the Pineapple Growers’ Association, the price of fresh fruit has moved up ₹10 a kg during the current month. The price of fresh ripe fruit went up from ₹55 a kg in April to ₹65 a kg on April 28.
Mr. John said the situation was such that exporters were unable to meet the hot season requirements in the markets while local supplies too had dried up with farmers unable to meet even small quantity orders from local caterers and food outlets. Kerala has around 6,000 hectares under pineapple cultivation.
