Hawaiian fruit expert favours India Tropical Fruit Growers’ Assn formation

 

It is essential for India to form a Tropical Fruit Growers’ Association to promote the tropical fruits and help the growers in the country, according to an international fruit expert from Hawaii.

In an informal chat with

Business Line on the sidelines of a seminar on ‘Promising tropical fruit crops’, organised by the Chowtara Chavadi Agriculture and Cultural Foundation at Meeyapadavu in Kasaragod district of Kerala on Sunday, Ken Love, a Hawaiian fruit grower and Executive Director of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers, said it is essential for all small farmers to develop a bonding and brotherhood in the form of a Tropical Fruit Growers’ Association.

Explaining his experience with such an association in Hawaii, he said the association gets money for conferences, research and for variety trial.

Stressing the need for the formation of an India Tropical Fruit Growers’ Association, Love said it could be set up like an NGO. The association could be for general tropical fruits. He said the association’s priority should be to provide benefits to small fruit growers in the country.

Stating that the US government gives access of its germ-plasm for such associations, he said it provides access to different fruit varieties. Giving the example of apples, he said US grows around 5000 different varieties.

If somebody wants to try breeding, or wants to grow different varieties to see how they work, such an association can help those interested, he said.

D Chandrashekara Chowta, organiser of the event, told Business Line that many farmers are showing interest towards growing fruit crops. Recalling his experience with organising such a seminar on tropical fruit crops a few years ago, he said the number of participants went up considerably this year compared to the previous one.

The young fruit farmers should come forward to form such an association and to explore the potential of tropical fruit crops in the country, he said.