Coronavirus outbreak: Ahead of Vishu 2020 on April 14th, Kerala’s farmers have rolled out an innovative ‘Pineapple and Cucumber’ challenge! Nationwide lockdown due to the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus has not only disrupted the movement of people but the fruit supplies as well. As a result, many farmers in Kerala are left with bulks of pineapples, bananas, cucumbers and watermelon, according to a report by Manorama. Usually, these fruits are exported to northern parts of the country during Vishu which is a harvest season for these farmers, but this year it is unlikely to export. Majority sales take place at this time of the year, the report said. Therefore, to improve sales, agriculture officers along with the farmers have come up with some new initiatives like “pineapple challenge” and “cucumber challenge.”
It is to note that delivery of food items come under the essentials but due to the fear of pandemic, drivers are not willing to travel. Even if they do, they are expected to put themselves under quarantine for 14 days which again delays the supply process, the report said.
Kerala’s famous pineapple cart of 1,200 tonnes which was supposed to be exported is stuck. Within “pineapple challenge,” the fruit will be sold to the residents of Ernakulam. They can purchase a minimum of 100 kg at a price of Rs 20 per kg. These pineapples will be delivered at their doorsteps, the report said. The orders can help with the preparation of jellies, jams, squash, pickles and wine. This way, the produce sold can benefit the farmers too.
Similarly, a “cucumber challenge” has also been introduced. This is initiated by the agriculture officers of Thrissur and is expected to help with the sales of cucumbers that were harvested for the Vishu season. These cucumbers will be sold at a rate of Rs 28 per kg. Apart from this, the report highlighted, 120 tonnes golden cucumbers are waiting for some takers during the season.
The report added that watermelons and bananas too, are suffering the same fate. With restricted movement of people, the procurement of fruits has been quite low when compared to the produce. Farmers who used to sell bananas for around Rs 30 per kg are now forced to sell at Rs 15 per kg. As their crops lay perishing, farmers/ agriculture officers are looking forward to selling the fruits via WhatsApp orders. The report said that there are few days left to sell before they start rotting.
