King of pineapple continues to spring surprises

Though on its way out, the Raja variety is still cultivated by a handful of farmers for old times’ sake

The Kew variety of pineapple (commonly known as Raja) was widely cultivated and once well-known throughout Kerala for its extraordinarily large fruit and soft and succulent nature, suited to fresh juice-making. But the variety requires around 16 months to be ready for harvest when compared to the commonly cultivated Mauritius, which matures in around 11 months. The longer maturity period and delicate nature of the large fruit, which easily spoils, have discouraged farmers from taking up its large-scale cultivation. The fruit variety needs to be handled with great delicacy, says Baby John, a pineapple farmer at Vazhakulam. The difficulties associated with its short shelf life have brought down its demand. Raja appears to be on its way out, and a few farmers keep the plants for the sake of old times, said Mr. John.