Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself?
I was previously working in Bangalore. I have worked there for close to 12 years. Now, I am back at my native place practicing agriculture. In the agricultural sector, I chose to cultivate pineapples. It is a commercial crop. It is a seasonal fruit which cannot be stored for a long period of time. But, it has a lot of benefits as well. Each pineapple weighs substantially around 2-3 kg. I am happy to be in the agricultural sector.
Where is your pineapple farm located?
It is located in the Uttar Kannada District – the Karwar region. It is near Siddapura.
How is your pineapple cultivation done?
I have around 50 acres of land, which I have taken on lease for farming. Many farmers have land but they don’t have financial back up. I take land from such farmers and I cultivate on their lands. I will grow arecanuts and pineapple on their land. For them, arecanuts are long term sources of income. For me, the pineapple is an 18 month crop.
What kind of land is required for Pineapple cultivation?
It doesn’t thrive well with coconuts. Honestly, it is a dry area and it is hot weather in that area most of the times.
Can pineapple be grown in that kind of climate?
No, you can’t grow pineapple where there are coconut trees already. Once you plant pineapple, you can grow any crop along with it because the soil starts mulching due to the use of fertilizers etc which is useful for other crops as well. As per my understanding, pineapple does well in all temperature zones. The best season to cultivate pineapple is January to end of April.
Are tissue culture variants available?
It doesn’t work out for pineapple.
The shade from the coconut trees affects the pineapple crop?
Exactly! The pineapple crop won’t grow well in shade. You can’t expect good quality pineapples from such land.
How much of irrigation support does this crop need?
It doesn’t need much. Earlier the crop used to get mature in 18 months when it was cultivated on semi dry lands. Now in completely dry lands, we provide a little drip irrigation and fertilizers, and realize the crop in 14 months. If there is no water at all, you will get mature crops at the end of 18 months, but don’t expect too much a weight for your crops. In such cases, each pineapple will weigh only up to around 1-1.5kg.
How many pineapple saplings can you place in an acre of land?
Around 15,000
What is the spacing you give between saplings?
I leave 1 foot of land between each plant.
What is the cost of one plant cutting?
In my area, the running cost is around Rs. 3/-. These rates depend on where you get your saplings from – the distance covered to reach you, etc. Another thing I have to say is that once we plant Pineapples, your investment will come up to Rs 8-9 per plant. This includes fertilizers, feeding, labour etc. That is about 2 lakhs a year for the entire crop.
Can pineapples be grown organically without use of fertilizers?
Growing pineapples completely organically doesn’t work. You definitely need some amount of fertilizers. You get organic fertilizers, but you cannot expect the growth you get otherwise, when you use those fertilizers. For irrigation, drip irrigation is better. If you irrigate pineapple fields once a week, it is sufficient. But, it should be silt-free water. Silt is a sediment residue in water. Water containing silt spoils pineapple crops. That is a major issue which needs to be tackled in pineapple cultivation. If water is clear of silt, there is no issues. So, water with silt content should be filtered before feeding it to the pineapple crops. The silt will cause a layer around the crop hindering its growth.
What kind of yield are you looking at?
I plant pineapples and within 14 months I realise the harvest – that is how it works. I have got yields ranging from 1 kg – 4.5 kg. I am talking about the weight of one pineapple. So, it is an average. Some pineapples may weigh 1 kg and some may weigh more. You can safely say it is an average of 2-2.5 kg. So, on an average about 30,000 kg of crop in its entirety.
What is the selling price in your area?
Farmers can hardly do anything because there are so many brokers involved nowadays. These middle men spoil our income. But you can’t store your crops for long as well. It is a perishable commodity. Once your crop comes to the cutting stage, you need to sell it immediately. So, these brokers play around with the prices. On an average, we get about Rs 13-14 per kg. If it is a very good price, we will get around Rs 20 per kilo.
Could you even get less that Rs.13?
Yes, it all depends on the market.
Which are the main areas for pineapple cultivation?
Earlier, pineapple cultivation was mainly focused in and around Kerala. Now we have it in Karnataka as well. You need to have a helping hand to try your hand at pineapple cultivation because upto 14 months we need to feed the crop. During that time, there is no income. But we will have expenses like labour charges, farm inputs etc. The maintenance will be costly up to 12 months. Financial backup is needed. You need enough money with you.
For marketing the product you depend on the local people?
Yes, there are plenty of brokers. But, if we get a path to the direct market, the profitability will trend positively to a large extent.
How long have you been cultivating pineapples?
It has been close to 10 years now.
Have you looked at entering the direct market at any point?
I have tried entering the Delhi market as well. Delhi market is the hub for Pineapple – the Delhi-Agra market.
When you began cultivating pineapples, how did you get help and information?
When I ventured into agriculture, I was under the impression that many people plant pineapple. But I realised that they use dry plants which takes 18-19 months to harvest. Also, you don’t get much yield using the dry plant. So, I wondered why not go for drip irrigation and I thought the other inputs that the plant requires also can be delivered through drip irrigation. So, the first time I tried that out itself fetched me a crop within 12 months. What I have come to realise is, you will be interested in going ahead with a crop only if you are successful in your attempt. My first crop fetched my Rs 18 per kilo. In that set, the average weight was 2 kg per fruit. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t mess up at all. I messed up in many instances. That is all part of the learning curve. Also, once you plant pineapples, you can have arecanut plants and silver oaks in between the plants. You can grow pepper on silver oaks and arecanut trees.
How is the climate in your area?
Last year in the summer season the temperature had gone up to 38-40 degree Celsius. But that doesn’t affect the pineapples in my experience. Karwar is nice for pineapple plantation but it is too far for me. But it is not advisable to grow Pineapple in coastal areas.
Besides Pineapple, what else do you grow?
I have grown ginger, paddy, arecanuts. These are normal crops for us in this area.
What is the life of a pineapple plant?
If you maintain your plants and farm well, you can get up to 7 crops. But, there is a lot of maintenance that comes into play. Once you cut the pineapple, you must trim the leaves and clean up the area. You need to level up the soil. If you do all this, you can maintain the plant for up to 7 years.
Where do you source your planting material from?
I get it locally. There are so many people planting pineapple now. I have planted pineapple in 20 acres of land. For me it comes for about 10 years.
Your entire 20 acres is filled with pineapple?
Yes, but 20 acres is not one plot but an aggregate of many plots. But yes, I grow Pineapple in them. So, the material I will need for replanting, I will get it from my farm itself.
How do you market your crop?
Whatever crop you cultivate, marketing is a big puzzle. I feel that if farmers get together, something can be done. But all this can happen only after all farmers are at par in terms of knowledge. Currently, when the crop approaches a harvest, some trader comes and offers a deal for the total harvest. That is how I manage. I manage through agricultural brokers. They pay an advance initially, and after cutting they settle the rest of the pay. It is informal payment.
Do you feel that the price is increasing every year?
Honestly, 6 years back, the prices were very low. After 6 years, now I am getting a higher price each year. But it is true that the brokers play big time with the market prices. To tackle that, I believe, a farmers’ group needs to be formed to deal with brokers. The thing is – we make perishable goods which cannot be stored for long. My friends and I – we are discussing this. We are thinking that we need to form a farmers’ group and we need to go to the market. Around once in 15-20 days we should make trips to the local and other markets.
Do you look up to any established food-processing brand as an inspiration?
One could follow the example given by MAPRO – a group in Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, where they are processing and making fruit crush, jam, soups, soft drinks etc. It is a group of farmers who supply all over India and they export their product too. There is actually a research complex in Goa where they grow crops and do the processing too. Pineapple is sent to processing units at Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. There are huge processing units over there, where it is made into crush, jams, and jellies which is supplied all over the country. One can request information from the National Horticulture Board. They have got a lot of schemes. So, if we join together, form a society in the Sirsi taluk there are a lot of progressive societies. Check for Totagars’ Cooperative Sale Society (TSS) society. They are based in Uttar Kannada and their centre is at Sirsi. They focus on organic cultivation and are really progressive in terms of bringing the latest and best to farmers. They will definitely be able to guide anyone who is interested.
Chamaraj Gowder
Nejjur main road
Nejjur-581355
Karanataka
Mob:9035386664
Email:cpnejjur@gmail.com
I was previously working in Bangalore. I have worked there for close to 12 years. Now, I am back at my native place practicing agriculture. In the agricultural sector, I chose to cultivate pineapples. It is a commercial crop. It is a seasonal fruit which cannot be stored for a long period of time. But, it has a lot of benefits as well. Each pineapple weighs substantially around 2-3 kg. I am happy to be in the agricultural sector.
Where is your pineapple farm located?
It is located in the Uttar Kannada District – the Karwar region. It is near Siddapura.
How is your pineapple cultivation done?
I have around 50 acres of land, which I have taken on lease for farming. Many farmers have land but they don’t have financial back up. I take land from such farmers and I cultivate on their lands. I will grow arecanuts and pineapple on their land. For them, arecanuts are long term sources of income. For me, the pineapple is an 18 month crop.
What kind of land is required for Pineapple cultivation?
It doesn’t thrive well with coconuts. Honestly, it is a dry area and it is hot weather in that area most of the times.
Can pineapple be grown in that kind of climate?
No, you can’t grow pineapple where there are coconut trees already. Once you plant pineapple, you can grow any crop along with it because the soil starts mulching due to the use of fertilizers etc which is useful for other crops as well. As per my understanding, pineapple does well in all temperature zones. The best season to cultivate pineapple is January to end of April.
Are tissue culture variants available?
It doesn’t work out for pineapple.
The shade from the coconut trees affects the pineapple crop?
Exactly! The pineapple crop won’t grow well in shade. You can’t expect good quality pineapples from such land.
How much of irrigation support does this crop need?
It doesn’t need much. Earlier the crop used to get mature in 18 months when it was cultivated on semi dry lands. Now in completely dry lands, we provide a little drip irrigation and fertilizers, and realize the crop in 14 months. If there is no water at all, you will get mature crops at the end of 18 months, but don’t expect too much a weight for your crops. In such cases, each pineapple will weigh only up to around 1-1.5kg.
How many pineapple saplings can you place in an acre of land?
Around 15,000
What is the spacing you give between saplings?
I leave 1 foot of land between each plant.
What is the cost of one plant cutting?
In my area, the running cost is around Rs. 3/-. These rates depend on where you get your saplings from – the distance covered to reach you, etc. Another thing I have to say is that once we plant Pineapples, your investment will come up to Rs 8-9 per plant. This includes fertilizers, feeding, labour etc. That is about 2 lakhs a year for the entire crop.
Can pineapples be grown organically without use of fertilizers?
Growing pineapples completely organically doesn’t work. You definitely need some amount of fertilizers. You get organic fertilizers, but you cannot expect the growth you get otherwise, when you use those fertilizers. For irrigation, drip irrigation is better. If you irrigate pineapple fields once a week, it is sufficient. But, it should be silt-free water. Silt is a sediment residue in water. Water containing silt spoils pineapple crops. That is a major issue which needs to be tackled in pineapple cultivation. If water is clear of silt, there is no issues. So, water with silt content should be filtered before feeding it to the pineapple crops. The silt will cause a layer around the crop hindering its growth.
What kind of yield are you looking at?
I plant pineapples and within 14 months I realise the harvest – that is how it works. I have got yields ranging from 1 kg – 4.5 kg. I am talking about the weight of one pineapple. So, it is an average. Some pineapples may weigh 1 kg and some may weigh more. You can safely say it is an average of 2-2.5 kg. So, on an average about 30,000 kg of crop in its entirety.
What is the selling price in your area?
Farmers can hardly do anything because there are so many brokers involved nowadays. These middle men spoil our income. But you can’t store your crops for long as well. It is a perishable commodity. Once your crop comes to the cutting stage, you need to sell it immediately. So, these brokers play around with the prices. On an average, we get about Rs 13-14 per kg. If it is a very good price, we will get around Rs 20 per kilo.
Could you even get less that Rs.13?
Yes, it all depends on the market.
Which are the main areas for pineapple cultivation?
Earlier, pineapple cultivation was mainly focused in and around Kerala. Now we have it in Karnataka as well. You need to have a helping hand to try your hand at pineapple cultivation because upto 14 months we need to feed the crop. During that time, there is no income. But we will have expenses like labour charges, farm inputs etc. The maintenance will be costly up to 12 months. Financial backup is needed. You need enough money with you.
For marketing the product you depend on the local people?
Yes, there are plenty of brokers. But, if we get a path to the direct market, the profitability will trend positively to a large extent.
How long have you been cultivating pineapples?
It has been close to 10 years now.
Have you looked at entering the direct market at any point?
I have tried entering the Delhi market as well. Delhi market is the hub for Pineapple – the Delhi-Agra market.
When you began cultivating pineapples, how did you get help and information?
When I ventured into agriculture, I was under the impression that many people plant pineapple. But I realised that they use dry plants which takes 18-19 months to harvest. Also, you don’t get much yield using the dry plant. So, I wondered why not go for drip irrigation and I thought the other inputs that the plant requires also can be delivered through drip irrigation. So, the first time I tried that out itself fetched me a crop within 12 months. What I have come to realise is, you will be interested in going ahead with a crop only if you are successful in your attempt. My first crop fetched my Rs 18 per kilo. In that set, the average weight was 2 kg per fruit. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t mess up at all. I messed up in many instances. That is all part of the learning curve. Also, once you plant pineapples, you can have arecanut plants and silver oaks in between the plants. You can grow pepper on silver oaks and arecanut trees.
How is the climate in your area?
Last year in the summer season the temperature had gone up to 38-40 degree Celsius. But that doesn’t affect the pineapples in my experience. Karwar is nice for pineapple plantation but it is too far for me. But it is not advisable to grow Pineapple in coastal areas.
Besides Pineapple, what else do you grow?
I have grown ginger, paddy, arecanuts. These are normal crops for us in this area.
What is the life of a pineapple plant?
If you maintain your plants and farm well, you can get up to 7 crops. But, there is a lot of maintenance that comes into play. Once you cut the pineapple, you must trim the leaves and clean up the area. You need to level up the soil. If you do all this, you can maintain the plant for up to 7 years.
Where do you source your planting material from?
I get it locally. There are so many people planting pineapple now. I have planted pineapple in 20 acres of land. For me it comes for about 10 years.
Your entire 20 acres is filled with pineapple?
Yes, but 20 acres is not one plot but an aggregate of many plots. But yes, I grow Pineapple in them. So, the material I will need for replanting, I will get it from my farm itself.
How do you market your crop?
Whatever crop you cultivate, marketing is a big puzzle. I feel that if farmers get together, something can be done. But all this can happen only after all farmers are at par in terms of knowledge. Currently, when the crop approaches a harvest, some trader comes and offers a deal for the total harvest. That is how I manage. I manage through agricultural brokers. They pay an advance initially, and after cutting they settle the rest of the pay. It is informal payment.
Do you feel that the price is increasing every year?
Honestly, 6 years back, the prices were very low. After 6 years, now I am getting a higher price each year. But it is true that the brokers play big time with the market prices. To tackle that, I believe, a farmers’ group needs to be formed to deal with brokers. The thing is – we make perishable goods which cannot be stored for long. My friends and I – we are discussing this. We are thinking that we need to form a farmers’ group and we need to go to the market. Around once in 15-20 days we should make trips to the local and other markets.
Do you look up to any established food-processing brand as an inspiration?
One could follow the example given by MAPRO – a group in Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, where they are processing and making fruit crush, jam, soups, soft drinks etc. It is a group of farmers who supply all over India and they export their product too. There is actually a research complex in Goa where they grow crops and do the processing too. Pineapple is sent to processing units at Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. There are huge processing units over there, where it is made into crush, jams, and jellies which is supplied all over the country. One can request information from the National Horticulture Board. They have got a lot of schemes. So, if we join together, form a society in the Sirsi taluk there are a lot of progressive societies. Check for Totagars’ Cooperative Sale Society (TSS) society. They are based in Uttar Kannada and their centre is at Sirsi. They focus on organic cultivation and are really progressive in terms of bringing the latest and best to farmers. They will definitely be able to guide anyone who is interested.
Chamaraj Gowder
Nejjur main road
Nejjur-581355
Karanataka
Mob:9035386664
Email:cpnejjur@gmail.com
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