Indian banana farmers seek relief after crop damage

Banana farmers are demanding compensation after heavy winds swept across the Tamil Nadu region and damaged crops in the past few days. Standing plantain trees were damaged in Vayalur, Somarasampettai, Malliyampathu and parts of Lalgudi.

K Easwaran, a farmer at Kulumani said it is estimated only 20% of the plantations in the region have been affected as most crops were already harvested.

The affected farmers are seeking at least 100,000 per acre for lost crops. Farmers incur an expenditure of more than 50,000 to raise the crop in one acre. A major part of the produce from the region is sold in Kerala. A Nagarajan, the president of Tamil Nadu Horticulture Crop Producers Association, said a mature banana crop fetches at least 300-400 in the market.

Banana is raised in at least 25,000 acres in the district every year. Farmers complain that land under banana cultivation has decreased in recent years due to prolonged dry weather and poor irrigation. Such natural calamities will only discourage farmers further to raise the crop, farmers said.

Records show that banana production has doubled in Tamil Nadu over the past four years. Tamil Nadu grows more bananas than any other state. India produced 30.8 million tonnes of bananas in 2012-2013, and Tamil Nadu contributed nearly a third of the total crop. The state produced over 4.9 million tonnes of bananas in 2009-2010 and more than 8 million tonnes in 2012-2013. Maharashtra, the second largest banana producer, recorded a crop of 4.1 million tonnes and Gujarat, 4.04 million tonnes during the same period.

Source: indiatimes.com