Andhra Pradesh has occupied the top slot in banana cultivation in India. From a mere 79,360 hectares in 2015, the acreage increased to 1,03,728 hectares in 2018-19. The production saw an increase from 62,23,680 metric tonnes (MT) in 2018-19 from 34,87,308 MT in 2015.
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The government has identified banana as one of the growth engine crops due to its contribution to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Banana stands first in area and production compared to other crops. The quality production has increased significantly due to adoption of modern technology such as fruit-care activities in the cultivation.
Farmers’ Producers Organisations (FPOs) have been promoting banana. The area under drip in banana has increased from 0.45 lakh hectares during 2014-15 to 0.79 lakh hectares during 2018-19.
Horticulture Commissioner Chiranjiv Choudhary says that the proactive steps taken by the department are yielding results. Area under cultivation of banana has increased from 0.79 lakh ha during 2014-15 to 1.03 lakh ha during 2018-19 with a steep increase in productivity from 44 tonnes to 60 tonnes. The production has recorded substantial growth due to promotion of tissue culture labs, micro-irrigation and fertigation. These initiatives have helped in the increase of tissue culture area from 20% of the total area during 2014-15 to 50% during 2018-19, he says.
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Fruit train
The Commissioner, who recently received Banana Export Promotion Award 2020 from the ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), says the State Pradesh flagged off India’s first ‘Fruit train (banana)’ from Tadipatri to the Gateway Port (JNPT) for exports during 2019-20. It exported 11,000 MTs of banana through 11 consignments carrying 40 wagons in each train. “The government is now targeting exports of 75,000 MT during 2020-21,” he says.
The department has roped in six corporate firms to collaborate with the local farmers. The objective is to enhance the productivity, quality of produce, post-harvest treatment and packing, providing market linkage and ensuring higher prices with a regular increase in income year-on-year, he adds.