Sweet harvest, bitter returns: Assam-Meghalaya border pineapple farmers struggle for fair prices

Nestled along the Assam-Meghalaya border, Gamairimura village has emerged as a flourishing hub of pineapple cultivation, with thousands of tonnes of the fruit being supplied annually to markets across Assam and other states. 

However, despite the bumper harvest and growing demand, farmers say they continue to struggle with poor returns and inadequate market support.

The weekly market on July 24 witnessed a large influx of pineapples brought by cultivators from Gamairimura and neighbouring villages in Meghalaya. Traders and buyers thronged the market as the region's famed sweet pineapples went on sale.

Farmers said that while demand for their produce remains strong, they are still not receiving remunerative prices, affecting the livelihoods of hundreds of families dependent on pineapple cultivation.

According to local estimates, nearly 2,000 farmers in the region cultivate between 2,500 and 3,000 metric tonnes of pineapples every year, making Gamairimura one of the key pineapple-producing belts along the Assam-Meghalaya border.

Cultivators believe the region has immense potential to become a major fruit production hub, but stress that better market linkages, improved pricing mechanisms and government intervention are essential to ensure sustainable growth.

Pineapple growers across Assam and Meghalaya continue to grapple with several challenges, including fluctuating market prices, rising labour costs, inadequate cold storage facilities and limited institutional support. Farmers say these issues not only reduce their earnings but also threaten the long-term sustainability of pineapple cultivation in the region.

With production steadily increasing each year, growers are now urging authorities to strengthen infrastructure, improve marketing channels and ensure fair prices so that the state's thriving pineapple industry can realise its full potential.