The Pineapple Growers Association Keralam has launched a campaign urging farmers to avoid fresh pineapple cultivation for the next 12 months and instead focus on maintaining existing farms amid acute labour shortages and falling prices.
Baby John, President of the association, said the migration of workers to North India during the election season has severely affected labour availability, making it difficult for farmers to harvest and manage current plantations efficiently.
He said the immediate priority should be the proper upkeep of existing farms, which would help reduce unnecessary expenditure, ease labour pressure and ensure market stability that could support better prices in the future.
Lower returns
At present, first-grade green pineapple is selling at around ₹46 per kg, while ripe pineapple prices in wholesale markets have plunged to between ₹10 and ₹13 per kg. Farmers require at least ₹35-₹40 per kg to break even, resulting in substantial financial losses under current market conditions.
