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M.J. Prabu

Chennai, Nov. 15

Of late, Grande Naine, the Central American variety of the Cavendish Group, has been actively taken up for cultivation in many parts of the State. Grande Naine as a fruit, has good keeping quality, has attractive yellow green colour at maturity and is internationally acceptable, both as a fresh fruit and in the processed form.

Today, Theni district has become the hub of Grande Naine cultivation. The variety accounts for nearly 23 per cent of the total area of 3,328 hectares under banana cultivation.

Annually over 25 lakh tissue culture plants are being distributed in Theni, of which Jain Irrigation alone accounts for over 15 lakh plants.

With its primary and secondary hardening facility at the R&D farm at Udumalpet, 90-day-old plants are distributed to the farmers. Crop production is supported with drip irrigation and fertigation and advanced pre-harvest practices. Marketing support through local merchants as well as retail chains is also provided.

The average yield per acre is about 37.50 tonnes and at an average farm gate price of Rs 4 per kg, the total returns from the first crop work out to Rs 1.50 lakh per acre.

With the cost of hi-tech cultivation working out to Rs 0.84 lakh per acre, there is a surplus of Rs 0.66 lakh per acre and the net return from the first and second ratoon is about Rs 1.09 lakh per acre each. In all in 26-28 months, nearly Rs 2.50-2.75 lakh can be obtained as net profit.

Having realised the potential, the farmers are keen to sustain cultivation and are already working towards this. About 300-500 tonnes are being harvested every day, throughout the year.

A few progressive traders have started bagging the “contracted” bunches and de-handing them right at the farm site and washing and packing them in crates and ripening them in ripening chambers at Bangalore and sending them to various markets.

This value addition earns the traders substantial increment in price realisation (from 7-7.50 a kg to Rs. 10.50 to 11a kg) at their terminal markets.

The additional cost towards transportation to Bangalore and ripening charges there work out to Rs 2per kg. There is thus a price advantage of about Rs 2 a kg.

More Stories on : Horticulture/Fruits & Vegetables | Tamil Nadu

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