Pineapples rotting in Ghatail orchards

Farmer Abdul Aziz along with an agriculture official inspecting a damaged pineapple at his garden at Shalianaha village in Ghatail. An unidentified disease is damaging the sweet fruits in large scale in the upazila. PHOTO: STAR

Farmers said pineapples, almost ready for harvest, develop dark spots and start rotting. The damage started after last week's showers preceded by 4-5 days' excessive summer heat. They said they do not know any remedy as they did not face such a situation since commercial cultivation of the fruit started in the area after the Independence.

On the other hand, Honeyqueen, Giantque, and Ghorashal varieties of sweet pineapples grown in Madhupur upazila are becoming tasteless and losing favour, allegedly due to use of 'hormone' during cultivation and for artificial ripening, some farmers claimed.

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According to Agriculture Extension Department (AED) officials in Tangail, 5,800 hectares were brought under pineapple cultivation in the district-- 4,200 hectares in Madhupur and 1,600 hectares in Ghatail.

At least 6 crore pineapples were expected from 1,600 hectares in Dhalapara and Rashulpur unions in Ghatail this year, they said. But pineapples are rotting in orchards in large quantities.

Harvest started from the last week of Bangla month of Ashar and will continue throughout Sraban.

Ghatail Upazila Agriculture Officer Abul Kalam said he detected large quantities of damaged pineapples during visit to different orchards.

"We informed scientists of Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) in Gazipur and requested them to identifying the cause, but they are yet to visit the area", he told this correspondent.

This correspondent visited some orchards on Friday. Farmers said, about one-third of their pineapples has been damaged.

The farmers estimated that more than two crore pineapples have been damaged in Ghatail, which would be worth about Tk 10 crore.

Expressing deep frustration, Abdur Razzak, a farmer in Singherchala village, said about 10,000 out of 30,000 pineapples in his orchard have been damaged, which would be worth about Tk 50,000.

The farmers alleged that agriculture officials could not give any advice to protect the fruits.

But Hakim Uddin, Deputy Director (DD) of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) in Tangail, said the damage could be due to excessive use of fertiliser and insecticide. Over-dose of fertiliser and insecticide reduce their capacity to resist disease, he said.

"Madhupur pineapples are becoming tasteless day by day due to use of a kind of hormone, which started in the area four years ago", he added.

The damaged pineapples were selling in local markets at throwaway prices.

"A pair sold at around Tk 25 last year is now being sold at Tk 10 this year because of spots", trader Rahim Mia said in Ghatail upazila headquarters.

The farmers said most of them cultivated pineapple by taking loan from banks and merchants. It will be difficult to repay the loans, many of them said.

A total of 4,200 hectares were brought under pineapple cultivation in Telki, Sholakuri, Rashulpur, Amritara, Aushnara, Beribaid, and Kakraid areas in Madhupur upazila this year.

Many farmers in Modhupur said they are losing interest in pineapple farming due to lack of storage facility and good communication system for marketing.