DINDIGUL
Members of Sirumalai Banana Growers’ Association have appealed to the Palani Sri Dhandayuthapani Swami Temple officials to consider procuring Sirumalai variety bananas from them for making the world famous panchamirtham.
The banana growers who met here to discuss ways and means to enhance the coverage area post the floods have urged the State government to intervene and ensure that the temple administration revived the procurement.
To give a fillip to the banana growers, the then government issued a G.O in 2004 following which the temple administration directed the contractors to procure the fruit from the Sirumalai banana growers.
Apart from the pride for the Sirumalai banana growers, who supplied their produce to the temple for making panchamirtham, it was a unique recognition, said P.E.T. Vignesh Thiyagarajan, a progressive banana grower in Sirumalai.
Though the actual reason was not known for stopping purchases from the Sirumalai growers, the farmers would be delighted to see their bananas bought by the temple administration again.
With the dwindling crop area, there was an urgent need for intervention by researchers from the State-owned Banana Research Station in Tiruchi to study pest problems.
Explaining the issue, the farmers said that a kind of pest had been hitting the crop frequently that close to ₹ 5,000 was spent per acre to mitigate the disease. The scientists can also suggest ideas which would help farmers enhance productivity.
The Sirumalai, situated at 1,600 metres above sea level, had once a total coverage of 16,000 acres, had fallen to less than 2,000 acres of banana crop. Though there were very many reasons, farmers felt that there was a lack of government support during crisis.
Like on the lines of providing subsidy to the fishermen to procure diesel, the government should consider giving relief to the banana growers who used oil motors to pump water and spray fertilizers for the crop. The gunny bags meant for transport too should be offered at a subsidised rate.
Former Panchayat Union chairman Vellimalai said that the Dindigul district administration should write to the Banana Research Station in Tiruchi and invite the scientists/pathologists to study the disease at the earliest.
“If this is prevented, farmers will be relieved to a great extent, as many considered switching to alternatives to banana crop in the hill station,” he said.
The Sirumalai banana, which had the GI tag in 2008, should restore its uniqueness and to achieve the goal, the government support was imminent.
Other speakers at the meeting mentioned the misuse of Sirumalai variety by some growers. Despite not belonging to Sirumalai, they sold them as Sirumalai fruit. The officials should stop such fake circulation in the markets and consumer awareness programmes should be held.
