Kerala farmers are looking at the potential of a pineapple variety, which is yet to be named locally and touted as “very sweet”. It appears to be suitable for processing and possibly has a shelf life that exceeds the conventional Mauritius variety widely cultivated in the state. Most important, the new variety might be very suited for mechanised processing. The Mauritius variety cannot easily be processed; losses from processing can be as high as 35% to 40%.
The fruit is larger and weighs around 2.5 kg to 2.7 kg. Its shelf life is to be tested. Only wider cultivation and testing can lead to a firm conclusion on its merits.
In the meanwhile, pineapple prices continue to be low. The price of best quality green, usually exported to upcountry markets, stands at ₹23 to ₹25 a kg while the price of the ripe variety, sold mostly in the Kerala market, stood at between ₹22 and ₹24 a kg.
[ ₹100 = €1.10 ]
Source: thehindu.com