Pineapple from Subang, West Java

In fact, cultivate pineapple is not difficult. This plant also does not need special treatment. It just need to prepare a lose soil and clean it from weeds. Mr. Rochman, a pineapple farmer from Subang west Java who I met him last December told me how to plant pineapple properly. Pineapple grows very well on lose soil and high temperature. In this climate the taste of pineapple will sweeter than that in cold climate, Rochman said, who declared as the pioneer of the pineapple farmer in the region. Recently he is the head of pineapple farmer association that has more then hundred members.
Pineapple trees are planted on rows like rice so that can easily to weed and fertilize them. They are fertilized once every three months after weeding, and are harvested twice a year. It means he must fertilize his plants twice for one season of planting. One tee spoon fertilizer of urea and KCl are spread over single plan straightly. 20 Kg of fertilizer is used for 2,000 pineapple plants. At the first month of the plant, pine apple needs a kind of protector plantations. Cassava is Rochman’s choice because this plant is also has economic value, he added. After pineapple trees have at least 20 leafs, about the first three month, pineapple trees are need to be pesticide, it for protecting from pest and disease. He mixed 20 milliliter pesticide with 20 liter water than poured a 15 to 20 milliliter on the youngest leafs at every single plant.
Rochman said, this pesticide makes the plant brings fruit faster. One week before harvesting, the sames pesticide is lubricated all over the fruit evenly and he did it one by one. Exactly like painting it. This pesticide changes the color of pineapple from purple to florid yellow. It makes pineapple more attractive to the buyers.
Rochman then told me about marketing his pineapple. He does not sell his pineapple by him self but he sells them to a broker. “How does the broker make an estimation for your yield crops. It is difficult isn’t it?” I asked him. “I can estimate my yield because I always walked around my field everyday. However, broker has his own experience to do this work. He just asks me how much pesticide I has had used for my plants. From that he can than estimate how much he should pay for my whole yield.” He added that he can plant 10,000 plants on one Ha soil.
For good pineapple (he names it as ‘super pineapple’) can cost Rp. 1.800,00 to Rp. 2.000,00 per Kg. The less quality pineapple costs 1.000,00 to Rp. 1.200,00 per Kg. Good pineapple can be 3 Kg weight each. A simple calculation shows that he can get pay Rp. 6 million from 1 Ha soil. If a year he can harvest twice then he can get Rp. 12 million. That is why he does not plant rice although he can. Recently, since the last 5 years, there are more than 1,000 pineapple farmer.
According to Rochman, one pineapple tree can brings fruit 6-7 times. So they can live in 3 to 4 years. After the first harvesting, its old leafs are cleaned. Then the trees are treated as the new plants and they are treated exactly in the same way but no need to plant the plant protector any more. The pineapple trees have already grown strongly. You want to try to plant pineapple? Rochman is willing to help you how to do.