Vazhakulam pineapple price surge masks farm crisis

Kochi: The famous Vazhakulam pineapple is on a roll, with the special grade green variety touching a record price of Rs 74/kg. While surging prices might look like a windfall for farmers, growers revealed a grim reality. An acute production shortage driven by erratic climate shifts has left them with little to sell, turning a potential boom into financial distress.

In markets, the normal green variety was selling at Rs 72/kg while the ripe fruit was priced at Rs 65/kg on Wednesday. “There is not a single tonne of good-quality ripe pineapple available. Even if buyers are willing to pay Rs 60-Rs 70, there is simply no fruit in the market,” said president of Pineapple Farmers Association Baby John.

The crisis stems from an unstable climate cycle, especially in May. In commercial pineapple farming, the chemical ethephon is used to induce uniform flowering and accelerate the fruit’s golden-yellow colour before harvest. “Growers usually avoid it during summer to allow the fruit to naturally withstand intense heat. However, recent extreme weather disrupted this cycle. Unprecedented heat caused the entire crop to ripen prematurely and simultaneously. These heat waves stunted the fruit, drastically reducing their size, weight and overall market quality,” he said.

There was also a shortage of migrant labourers at that time. “We couldn’t pluck fruits on time or take them to north Indian markets then,” said Varghese Jacob, another farmer.

The sudden, low-quality glut caused a massive price crash in the first week of May, with rates plummeting to Rs 20/kg and even top-tier varieties fetching a meagre Rs 35-Rs 40/kg. Reeling from heavy financial losses, many farmers in and around Vazhakulam halted cultivation.

A month later, the scenario changed completely as the pause in cultivation, combined with the destruction of summer crop, led to the end of local supply. Meanwhile, demand skyrocketed in urban hubs like Delhi and Jaipur, where the fruit is in demand.

Historically, prices for the premium special green or green varieties have never crossed Rs 65/kg. This unprecedented breach of the Rs 74 threshold highlights a severe supply-demand mismatch, said farmers.