A+Study+of+the+Cultivation+and+Pre+and+Post+Harvest+Practices+of+Pineapple+in+North+Bengal

8/12/2019 A+Study+of+the+Cultivation+and+Pre+and+Post+Harvest+Practices+of+Pineapple+in+North+Bengal

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A STUDY OF THE CULTI VATI ON AND

POST HARVEST PRACTI CES OFPI NEAPPLE I N NORTH BENGAL

Sur abhi Rai and R. K. Pal

Di vi si on of Post Har vest Technol ogy,

I ndi an Agr i cul t ur al Resear ch I nst i t ut e, New Del hi .


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I ndi a i s t he l ar gest pr oducer of f r ui t s i n t he wor l d.

Pi neappl e cont r i but es ar ound 2. 7% of t he t ot al pr oduct i on

of f r ui t s. The f r ui t i s gr own i n t he Nor t heast er n st at es,

West Bengal , Karnat aka and Keral a. However West Bengal

occupi es an i mpor t ant pl ace due t o t he super i or qual i t y of

f r ui t s, year r ound cul t i vat i on and t he r el at i ve

accessi bi l i t y f or mar ket i ng compar ed t o t he Nor t heast .

Moreover West Bengal i s t he maj or suppl i er of pi neappl es t o

maj or mar ket s of nor t h, nor t hwest and nor t h cent r al I ndi a.

Commer ci al pi neappl e cul t i vat i on i n West Bengal i s

concent r ated mai nl y i n nort h Bengal ; occupyi ng about 7. 5

t housand hect ares and cover i ng Bi dhan Nagar , Fasi dawa andChopr a bl ocks of Si l i gur i subdi vi si on i n Dar j eel i ng

di st r i ct , I sl ampur and Rai ganj subdi vi si on i n Ut t ar

Di naj pur di st r i ct and Mat habhanga and Di nhat a subdi vi si ons

i n Coochbehar di st r i ct s.


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I n vi ew of t he i nt er nat i onal demand f or pr ocessed

pi neappl e pr oduct s and al so on account of t he concent r at i on

of pi neappl e gr owi ng i n t he di st r i ct of Si l i gur i and

J al pai gur i of West Bengal , t he r egi on was not i f i ed as an

agr i - expo zone f or pi neappl es i n Oct ober 2001.

Gi ant Kew var i et y i s mai nl y gr own i n Nort h Bengal .

Pi neappl e i s usual l y gr own as a si ngl e cr op and not

i nt er cr opped as i n many part s of Sout h I ndi a. The peak

season of avai l abi l i t y i s f r om J une to Sept ember however

wi t h adopt i on of t he t echnol ogy of st agger ed har vest i ng,

f r ui t s ar e avai l abl e al l r ound t he year . The mai n season

cr op whi ch comes i n J une t o Sept ember const i t ut es 60% of

t he pr oduct i on, 20% of t he pr oduct i on comes i n Oct ober t o

November , 18% comes i n Februar y t o Mar ch and 2% i n December

t o J anuar y as depi ct ed i n t he pi e di agr am i n f i gur e 1.

SEASONAL VARIATION IN THE PRODUCTION OF PINEAPPLES

Jun-Sep

60%

Oct-Nov

20%

Dec-Jan

2%

Feb-Mar

18%

FI G 1: Seasonal var i at i on of pr oduct i on of pi neappl es

i n Nor t h Bengal .

Ear l i er pi neappl e cul t i vat i on was

r est r i ct ed onl y t o l ar ger f ar mer s but now many smal l

f ar mer s t oo have t aken up pi neappl e gr owi ng. I t i s grown i n


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t he upl ands i n aci di c, sandy l oam t o l oamy soi l . The pH of

soi l i n pi neappl e f i el ds usual l y hover s f r om 5 t o 5. 5. I t

i s usual l y gr own as an al t er nat i ve t o t ea, t ea bei ng gr own

i n t he mor e aci d soi l s and by l ar ger f ar mer s. The adj acent

l owl ands ar e used f or paddy cul t i vat i on.

Most of t he f armer s of t he r egi on gr ow t he crop

i n a doubl e row syst em wi t h spaci ng of 14 X 14 X 40 wi t h

some var i at i ons. Ar ound 10 t o 12 t housand pl ant s can be

accommodated per acre. Sl i p sucker s ar e usual l y used f or

pl ant i ng. Most f ar mer s are nowadays opt i ng f or a si ngl e

cr op as the r at oon cr op i s of t en of ver y poor qual i t y. NPK

i s appl i ed i n t he r at i o of 4: 1: 3 wi t h 3 t o 4 gr amsni t r ogen, 1 gr am phosphorus and 2 t o 3 gr ams of potassi um

per pl ant . Pot assi um i s i mpor t ant as i t i ncreases t he TSS

however excess appl i cat i on l eads t o cr acki ng of eyes and

har deni ng of cel l ul ose f i ber s. Some f ar mer s al so appl y some

mi cr onut r i ent mi xtur es. I r r i gat i on i s gi ven my most f ar mer s

i n about 2 weeks i nt erval or as needed. Most f armers have

adopt ed spr i nkl er i r r i gat i on and manage t he i nf r ast r uct ur e

on a cost - shar i ng basi s.

Most f ar mer s appl y a pr e- har vest spr ay of

Et hr el or Cal ci um car bi de f or f l ower i nduct i on. Of r ecent

t he pr act i ce of spr ayi ng NAA t o i ncr ease t he f r ui t si ze has

al so i ncreased. Though onl y one spr ay of NAA i s r ecommended

f ar mer s somet i mes spray 2 t o 3 t i mes, t hi s whi l e i ncr easi ng

t he f r ui t si ze al so i ncr eases t he aci di t y and may al so make

t he f r ui t s vul ner abl e t o bl ack hear t di sor der . Some f ar mer sal so pr act i ce spr ayi ng of Et hr el f or hast eni ng f r ui t

r i peni ng and col our devel opment . Mi cr onut r i ent def i ci ency

may somet i mes cause f r ui t r ot and f r ui t scor ch may occur

due t o exposur e to t he hot sun. Meal y bug at t ack causes

yel l ow l eaf and wi l t i ng of pl ant s. However pl ant pr ot ect i on


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measur e f or pi neappl e i n t hi s r egi on i s vi r t ual l y non-

exi stent .

The f r ui t s devel op aci di t y af t er t hree mont hs of

f or mat i on and ar e t ast el ess bef or e that . The har vest

mat ur i t y depends on t he mar ket t he f r ui t s are i nt ended f or .

For t he di st ant market s t he f r ui t s are har vest ed when

mat ur e but st i l l gr een, f or nei ghbor i ng mar ket s t he f r ui t s

shoul d be par t i al l y r i pened whi l e f or t he l ocal mar ket s and

pr ocessi ng i ndust r i es i n t he vi ci ni t y t he f r ui t s ar e

har vest ed at yel l ow r i pe st age. The l ocal f ar mer s and

t r ader s t er ms f or t he var i ous st ages of mat ur i t y bei ng

bl ack gr een, r ed eye and bot t om r ed and f ul l yel l ow et c.The mat ur i t y of t he f r ui t s i s j udged by t he open cr owns,

wher e t he out er most l eaves are or i ent ed at wi der angl e i n

compar i son t o cl osed cr owns i n i mmatur e f r ui t s, wher e t he

l eaves are mor e or l ess ver t i cal l y or i ent ed. Somet i mes t he

harvest i ng i s gui ded by t he monet ary needs of t he f armer s

and may be not be harvest ed at mat ur i t y st age. There i s a

demand f or smal l i mmat ur e f r ui t s wi t hout much r egard t o the

or ganol ept i c qual i t y dur i ng t he f est i val of Chaa t Pu j a

f r om t he nei ghbor i ng st at es of Bi har and Ut t ar Pr adesh.

The f r ui t s ar e harvest ed wi t h t he hel p of

or di nar y si ckl es no speci al i zed i mpl ement s are used. No

post har vest t r eat ment s ar e gi ven t o t he f r ui t s i n

commer ci al pr act i ce. The har vest ed f r ui t s ar e pi l ed i n t he

f i el ds wi t hout any shade, whi ch may l ead t o scor chi ng of

t he f r ui t s. Ther e i s usual l y no pr act i ce of packagi ng t hef r ui t s f or t r anspor t . The mar ket abl e f r ui t s var y f r om 500

gr ams t o 3 ki l ogr ams i n case of l ar ger f r ui t s. Ther e i s no

syst em of gr adi ng and sor t i ng. Si nce t he f r ui t s ar e sol d by

wei ght some f ar mer s r esor t t o spr ayi ng of ni t r ogenous

f er t i l i zer s af t er f r ui t i ng i n or der t o i ncrease t he crown


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wei ght and hence the tot al wei ght s. However t hi s pract i ce

i s det r i ment al t o t he qual i t y of f r ui t s. Af t er har vest i ng

t he sucker s ar e sol d as pl ant i ng mat er i al at t he r at e of

ar ound 2 t o 2. 5 rupees per sucker . Thi s provi des an

addi t i onal sour ce of i ncome t o t he pi neappl e f ar mer s.

Pi neappl e t r ade i s l ar gel y domi nat ed by

deal ers and commi ss i on agent s, who are the l i nk between t he

f ar mer s and t he whol esal e deal er s i n bi g market s. Ther e i s

no r egul ated market i ng or organi zed market i ng by t he

f ar mer s. The f ar mer s are t ot al l y at t he mer cy of t he

commi ssi on agent s. The f r ui t deal er s cont act t he f ar mer s

and di r ect l y l oad t he f r ui t s on t o t r ucks f r om t he f ar mer sf i el d i f r eadi l y accessi bl e f r om t he mai n r oad. Ther e i s no

packagi ng and the f r ui t s ar e si mpl y st acked on the back of

t r ucks. Ot her wi se t he f r ui t s ar e t r anspor t ed t o a

col l ect i on cent er by var i ous conveyances l i ke bul l ock

car t s, r i ckshaws or aut o r i ckshaws. Bad r oads and st acki ng

of f r ui t s l eads t o i nj ur y dur i ng t r anspor t at i on, whi ch can

l ead t o secondar y i nf ect i on and r ot t i ng. Frui t s ar e most l y

sent t o di st ant mar ket s i n Cal cut t a, Mal da, Del hi , Nor t h

cent r al I ndi a, Si kki m, Nepal and Bhut an f or bot h t abl e and

pr ocessi ng pur pose. Del hi i s t he l ar gest mar ket and t he

f r ui t s get r edi st r i but ed t o ot her pl aces i n nor t h I ndi a

f r om Del hi . I n t he peak mont hs f r om J une t o Sept ember about

10 t o 12 t r uckl oads of f r ui t ar e suppl i ed t o Del hi each

day, 5 to 7 t r uckl oads per day t o Cal cut t a and Mal da and 5

t o 6 t r uckl oads are absorbed i n t he l ocal mar ket whi ch al sof i nd t hei r way t o t he nei ghbor i ng mar ket s of Si kki m, Nepal

and Bhut an as i l l ust r at ed i n f i gur e 2.


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Daily supply to different markets from June to September

Delhi

Calcutta

Local

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Markets

Truckloads

FI G 2: Vol ume of dai l y suppl y of pi neappl es t o var i ous

mar ket s f r om Nor t h Bengal .

Seasonal variation in the daily supply of pineapples from North Bengal to Delhi

market.

12

6

2

5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Jun-Sep Oct-Nov Dec-Jan Feb-May

Months

Truckloads

FI G 3. Seasonal var i at i on i n dai l y suppl y of pi neappl es

t o Del hi market

Each t r uckl oad cont ai ns appr oxi mat el y 7000 f r ui t s. I n t he

r est of t he year t he f r ui t s ar e sol el y suppl i ed t o Del hi


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whi l e a mi ni scul e amount al so f i nds i t s way t o the l ocal

mar ket . Ar ound 5 t r uckl oads per day ar e suppl i ed to Del hi

f r om Febr uar y to May whi l e 1 t o 2 t r uckl oads per day ar e

suppl i ed f r om December t o J anuar y as seen i n f i gur e 3.

Season al variation in the pr ice of pine apples in Nor th Bengal

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Jun-Sep Oct-Jan Feb-May

Months

Price(Rs)

FI

G 4: Seasonal var i at i on i n t he pr i ce of pi neappl es i n Nor t h

Bengal .

The pr i ces usual l y hover between 3. 5 t o 4 r upees i n t he

peak season, 4 t o 4. 5 r upees f or t he wi nt er f r ui t s and

r i ses t o 5. 5 t o 6 r upees f or t he i nduced f r ui t s t hat come

i n t he mar ket f r om Febr uar y t o May. Though t her e i s pr i ce

f l uct uat i on i n t he di f f er ent seasons t he var i at i on i s not

so dr ast i c bet ween t he peak and of f - season. The pr i ces are

maxi mum f r om Febr uar y to May as t hi s i s t he i nduced cr op

l ocal l y ref er r ed t o as t he car bi de f r ui t s whose cost ofcul t i vat i on i s hi gher .

Wi th i nputs f rom;

1. Dr K. K Ai ch, Consul t ant , Cal ypso Foods pr i vat e l i mi t ed.

2. Dr Gaut am Roy, Hor t i cul t ur e f ar m, Mohi t nagar , J al pai gur i .


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3. I ndr aj eet Roy, Pi neappl e suppl i er and commi ssi on

agent , Bi dhan Nagar mar ket , Si l i gur i .

4. J agadi sh Sar kar , Pi neappl e f ar mer , Bi dhan Nagar bl ock,

Si l i gur i .

5. Pankaj Barman, Pi neappl e f armer , Bi dhan Nagar bl ock,

Si l i gur i .

A+Study+of+the+Cultivation+and+Pre+and+Post+Harvest+Practices+of+Pineapple+in+North+Bengal

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