PARVATHIPURAM-MANYAM: The pineapple farmers in Parvathipuram-Manyam district have been incurring huge losses as the price has come down to Rs 2-5 per fruit. Seethampeta agency, which falls under the newly-carved Parvathipuram-Manyam district, is known for pineapple cultivation. Tribal farmers in Seethampeta Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) have been cultivating the queen variety of pineapple in over 5,000 acres.
Tribal farmers in Seethampeta, Palakonda, Veeraghattam, Bhamini, Kotturu, Mandasa, Pathapatnam and Meliaputti have been cultivating pineapples in the hill area. More than 6,000 farmers depend on pineapple cultivation. There is a huge demand for the queen variety in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
In fact, pineapple growers have been facing a crisis ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the State. The pineapple growers were hoping to recover the losses incurred in previous two years as they received good yield this year, but the price has drastically come down, dashing their hopes. Especially in July, the peak pineapple season, the price has come down to a record low.
Local traders are selling each pineapple for Rs 20 to Rs 30 in the open market, and they are paying only Rs 2 to Rs 5 to farmers. They are forced to sell their crop at a lower price. They are not even getting labour charges for collection and transportation from the hill area to weekly shandies.
Horticulture as well as ITDA officials are saying that they are providing a reasonable price for pineapple by supplying the product to Rythu Bazaars, but the reality is completely different. Aarika Bhaskararao of Kammaguda village in Seethampeta Mandal said, "We have received a good yield this year. The middlemen and local traders are asking our crop for just Rs 2 to Rs 5 per fruit."
Savara Laxmi of Navagada village in Seethampeta mandal said, "The local traders and middlemen are paying just Rs 2 to Rs 5 for a fruit. We are selling the fruit at a lower price, which is not even sufficient for our labour charges. There is no cold storage in our ITDA limits to stock our crop until getting a reasonable price. So we are forced to sell the perishable fruits even for losses."
Speaking to The New Indian Express, District Horticulture Officer KSN Reddy said at least 1.5 lakh tonnes of pineapples were produced in the district this year. "As per the directions of district and ITDA officials, we are assisting the farmers in selling and exporting pineapple," Reddy said.
"We are procuring the produce in the agency through farmers' production organisations and supplying the same to Rythu Bazaars across the State. The farmers are selling their crop to local and wholesale traders on their own after getting a reasonable price. ITDA is procuring the leftover crop from the farmers by paying Rs 9 to Rs 10 for each fruit," Reddy added.