Kerala: Pineapple Farmers Face Devastating Consequences from Drought Conditions

The State's prolonged dry season does not portend well for the crop in the long run. One of the longest dry spells in recent recall, it will eventually have an impact on productivity, according to seasoned pineapple grower Baby John.

According to a scientist conducting studies in the area, irrigation is now being used to maintain plants whenever possible. Even twice weekly watering doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Scientists pointed to the current high heat index and noted that plants, particularly those in the growing stage, will suffer the most from the dry weather.

The summer rains haven't been distributed evenly as predicted. The majority of the State did not receive the regular allotment of rain, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the time period between March 1 and April 12. 

Alappuzha, Kannur, Ernakulam, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, and Thrissur are only a few of the districts with significant deficits in the state, which have 28% total deficit. While Kollam, Idukki, and Kottayam are at or near normal levels, Pathanamthitta and Wayanad have been the exceptions, experiencing excessive rains.

Farmers are being forced to stop growing pineapples due to the dry climate, notably in the northern provinces where rainfall has sharply decreased. In Kasaragod, the proportion of departure is negative 92, while it is minus 100 in Kannur. In both Malappuram and Kozhikode, the circumstance is comparable.

Mr. John pointed out that a 20% decrease in acreage and productivity may occur as a result of farmers giving up because of the weather. He stated that the overall area planted with the crop may have decreased from about 45,000 acres to 36,000 acres. The southern regions have limited land availability while places in the north are being abandoned.

The cost of the fruit has increased due to the decline in output. On Wednesday, the best-quality ripe fruit cost 48 per kg in the neighborhood market. In the future days, it may rise as high as Rs 50 per kilogram without any problems. The price of the fruit has also increased to a record-high Rs 1,300 a dozen due to demand in upcountry markets like Mumbai.

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