ABHIJIT TALUKDAR

Tamulpur, June 24, 2019

Though the rain is likely to be delayed for some more days, the monsoon fruit, pineapple, has arrived in lower Assam district. In Assam’s Baksa, it’s raining pineapples for the past few weeks and people are enjoying the sweetness of the fruit, known for its high nutritional value and antioxidants. The daily markets in Tamulpur are flooded with the sweet and ripe pineapples.

Locally cultivated at the nearby hilly terrains of Patkijuli-Hartola-Mariyanpur areas of the district, near Indo-Bhutan border, this fruit is helping the local traders earn huge moolah.

“The cultivation was good this year. Pineapples are perfect to beat the sweltering heat. This fruit also helps in curing many water-borne diseases during the summers,” said a local vendor.

It may be mentioned that the cultivation of pineapple is confined to high rainfall and humid coastal regions in peninsular India and hilly areas of the Northeastern region of India.

The square shaped fruit which has a pleasant aroma also has high amounts of manganese, thiamin, a B vitamin that is involved in energy production. Pineapple is a low-calorie fruit and is rich in fibre.

“The pineapples are pocket-friendly. We bought three pineapples for Rs 60. My children love to eat pineapple,” said Ganga, a local woman.