GUNTUR: District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) officials are providing pineapples to the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) women at a low cost to improve nutrition levels among women. Pineapples grow in hilly areas in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam. The crop is being cultivated in over 9,000 hectares in the north Andhra districts.
Middlemen buy the fruits from farmers at a very low cost of Rs 5 per fruit, due to which the farmers are suffering losses. Guntur DRDA officials were buying these fruits from the tribal farmers through ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency). Depending on the quality and size of the fruit, the officials were buying fruits at Rs 9 to 14 per fruit and distributing them to DWCRA.
As many as 7.5 lakh women are present in 76,242 DWACRA groups in the erstwhile Guntur district. The officials have bought over 50,000 fruits from the farmers for distribution. As part of this initiative, the fruit costs between Rs 9 and Rs 14, the same price is paid to the farmer and after adding Rs 2 as transport costs, the fruit is distributed to women at Rs 11 to Rs 16. The fruit costs Rs 30 to Rs 50 in the open market, the said officials.
Pineapples are loaded with nutrients and are rich in vitamin C, sodium, and potassium. It contains disease-fighting antioxidants and boosts immunity. Till now, fruits were distributed to 19,500 women in Kakumanu, Pedanandipadu, Prathipadu, and Vattichekuru mandals in Guntur district. The officials were also making necessary arrangements to distribute pineapples to women in Palnadu and Bapatla districts.