Delayed monsoon troubles farmers in Tripura

Agartala, June 27 (ANI): A delay in the arrival of the monsoon is troubling Tripura's pineapple growers, as the price of the fruit has shot up in comparison to previous years.

Farmers are unable to sell their produce in local markets, as demand has considerably declined this year.

"The total area of my orchard is around 15 to 16 hectares and about 15-20 labourers are constantly engaged in its production. This year, we are not benefiting as the sale is only in Agartala, but nowhere else. Earlier, pineapples would be exported to Bangladesh, but after the fence was constructed on the border, it has totally stopped," Dulal Deb, a pineapple orchard owner, said.

Another orchard owner said that if climatic conditions are favourable, the produce could have been better.

"For the last 30 years. I have been working in this orchard. If there were better weather conditions, we could have benefited," said Bangadra Marak, another pineapple orchard owner. (ANI)