Pineapple growers in the district are facing a severe crisis this year, with the price of the fruit nosediving to a low of ₹18 per kilogram. According to farmers, while the market rate is ₹18, the sale price has dipped to ₹10 per kilogram.

“Even then, no one wants it,” said James George, president of the All Kerala Pineapple Farmers Association. While the price of first-grade green pineapple has climbed to ₹40 per kilogram, that of ripe fruit has plunged sharply over the past two months.

According to farmers, a combination of factors played a significant role in disrupting the pineapple market.

“The West Asia crisis, which led to a cooking gas shortage and the shutting down of restaurants and shops, coupled with the labour shortage caused by the exodus of migrant labourers, played a key role. This, along with changing climatic conditions, led to changes in the flowering and fruiting cycle of the plant, which upset farmers’ production schedules and created a surplus in the market,” said Mr. George.

The demand for ripe pineapple is limited to the domestic market, mainly Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, and the lack of demand coupled with increased production led to the dip in prices, growers say. The last three years saw a considerable number of farmers entering the market owing to the profitable nature of pineapple farming, he added.

Baby John, president of the Pineapple Growers Association, said the group had launched a campaign asking growers to focus on maintaining their existing farms for a year and temporarily avoid starting any new cultivation.

“Once planted, the pineapple plant gives a yield for two to three years. Instead of mobilising more funds for farm expansion and inadvertently ending up in debt, we are asking farmers to take care of their farms and rely on the ratoon crop, that is, the harvest grown from the suckers of the mother plant. This will help avoid additional expenditure on fertilisers and labour charges. The ratoon crop itself can provide good returns,” said Mr. John.

Dominic George, 66, who has been a pineapple farmer in Vazhakkulam for around 35 years, said this was the first time prices had remained low for such a long period. “There has been a large supply this time and less demand. This is a peculiar period as a multitude of factors affected the prices, which never remained low for such a long time in the past. But the market is expected to pick up in two weeks as there will be a scarcity of the fruit going forward,” said Mr. George.