It’s barely noon and Pineapple producer Mariello Luciano is already on his second delivery of the day. The truck full of MD-2 pineapples, the hybrid variety grown in Martinique, he heads for the Lamentin cooperative.
“In July, everything is fine. All the pineapples have turned yellow, so we’re just harvesting and selling. On the other hand, in August, there is nothing. It is necessary to replant and the cold delays fertilization. It sometimes takes up to 16 months to bear fruit. Some producers do not resist. Because to hold on, you have to have cash, ”explains the producer.
To fill these slack periods, the farmer relies on the Queen pineapple. The variety from the Indian Ocean, a cousin of the Victoria pineapple, is being established in the territory. Juicier than MD-2, sweeter, but above all more resistant to cold and pests, explains Mariello Luciano. “Last year I lost 20% of my 10,000 pineapple heads. There I am mounting 4,000 Queen pineapple plants, normally there should be no loss. I will make a first assessment at the end of the year. »
Goal: achieve self-sufficiency
The selling price should be the same: between 1.80 and 2 euros per kilo. The challenge for the farmer and the entire sector is to achieve self-sufficiency. After the closure of the pineapple processing factory in 2006, the sector fell from 22,000 tonnes of production per year to less than 400 tonnes, decreasing year by year.
“Pineapple consumption in Martinique is 2,000 tonnes. In 7 or 8 years, we hope to completely cover the market to move towards export markets, or even processing,” explains Kevin Capron, development manager for the pineapple sector in Martinique.
Four of the fourteen pineapple producers established in Martinique have introduced this new variety into their crops. The first harvests of the year are expected in December. They hope to reach 400 tons of production, in addition to the 400 tons of MD-2 pineapples.