Market woes force ‘G 9 Banana’ growers to evolve

Weighed down by market woes and pest (wilt) attack, for which the crop is susceptible to, and high market penetration rate from Andhra Pradesh, which experienced mass plantation in the State, its cultivation in Theni has suffered a dip considerably. More importantly, its market value went much below production cost, prompting the ‘G 9’ banana growers to switch over to other varieties.

To offset adverse market moves, many farmers have now opted to cultivate ‘Red banana’, ‘Nendran’ and ‘Nali poovan’ varieties that could yield better profits. When undisturbed by cultivation, V.G. Sivamani, a ‘G 9’ banana grower from KK Patti of Cumbum, on Sunday told DT Next that the yield would be around thousand bunches in an acre with each bunch weighing a maximum of 40 kilos. With a good shelf life, this commodity earned market value of its own in domestic and international countries as well.

During 2015-16, around 500 container loads of ‘G 9’ bananas cultivated in Theni district were even shipped through the logistic support of VOC Port, Thoothukudi to overseas countries-mostly to the Middle East and European countries. However, the export trade gradually declined to 300 containers in 2016-17 and 200 containers in 2017-18. Since it consumed more time of about 15-20 days to transit shipments of this banana variety from Tamil Nadu to export destinations, when compared to a four-day transit time from Gujarat and Maharashtra, “we farmers tend to lose the market”, he said.

Almost 90 percent of bananas grown from Theni catered to the needs of consumers in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh. But now, ‘G 9’ cultivation has seen a decline by almost 60 percent.

According to N. Selvakumar of Erasakkanaickanur village, Chinnamanur block, it was a golden period for this banana variety growers during 2004 to 2014 when it reaped profit of about Rs. 2 lakh from an acre. This ‘G 9’ variety was not enterprising for the farmers over the last four years as the cultivation area witnessed a steep fall, with around 5,000 plants now as against 65,000 plants in 2014. Due to poor profit margin, many did not take up this variety. “With promising yield of ‘Red banana’ variety and it being an all-time season crop and with better market conditions, it caters to needs of consumers in 55 districts in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and in Pondicherry as well,” he said.

With farm price of Rs. 40 a kilo at procurement point for the ‘Red banana’, this variety has an assured market value. Many stakeholders of banana ripening chambers, who relied on ‘G 9’ variety, had been left in the lurch as operations in most of the chambers came tonaught, he said.