KOCHI: The Pineapple Farmers Association has refuted allegations about presence of high level of chemicals in pineapple. "Reports on high level of ethephon in pineapple had recently gone viral in social and news media. The baseless reports have adversely affected the farming. The rumours caused a dip in the sales of the fruit during Ramadan, which led to a loss of over Rs. 5 crore," said Jose Kalapura, president of the Association, while addressing a press conference here on Monday.
Ethephone is a chemical which releases ethylene regulating the growth of the plant. The Agricultural University has advised the use of ethephon in small dose to ensure maximum produce. A prescribed dose of agrichemicals is recommended by the university for high yield of pineapple. The farmers confirmed that they strictly adhere to the prescribed dose of chemicals during cultivation and the fruits are perfectly healthy for consumption.
"The state produces four lakh tonnes of pineapple every year with a total turnover of more than Rs.800 crore. The fruit is being cultivated in 15,000 hectares of land. Farmers are apprehensive over the widespread media reports and the subsequent dip in sales," the Association president added. Vazhakulam Pineapple, the variety of pineapple cultivated in Kerala, is a fruit with medicinal properties and has high resistance to pests and infections. The farming practices are being regularly reviewed and the new practices in cultivation are adopted with the technical support of pineapple research station at Vazhakulam, they said.
