Banana farmers, who survived an unusually hot summer early this year, are reaping the rewards of their perseverance with the price of raw nendran banana ruling steady around Rs.60 a kg.
Government-owned vegetable procuring agency Horticorp bought nendran on Tuesday at Rs.60 a kg while the retail price had gone up to about Rs.75 a kg depending on the location and availability, sources said.
The price on the website of Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK), which tracks vegetable prices, was Rs.65 in the Ernakulam retail market on Tuesday for the local variety of bananas. The wholesale price was Rs.60 a kg. Banana sourced from outside the State was selling for Rs.60 a kg in the retail market.
V.P. Kuriakose, a farmer, said that farmers had been receiving remunerative prices for over a month now. The auction at the Maradu wholesale vegetable market a fortnight ago saw farmers receiving up to Rs.70 a kg.
The farmers fetched up to Rs.65 a kg in the last auction on Thursday.
The rise in the price of bananas has been attributed to the serious crop losses sustained during the hot months of April and May. Besides, market sources said, the arrival of banana from Mettupalayam market had not picked up momentum.
Meanwhile, the price of other vegetables has continued to rule steady. The more pricey items included carrots and ginger. The price of carrot was Rs.50 a kg in the Ernakulam retail market, according to VFPCK. Ginger was being sold for Rs.60 a kg in the retail market.
