Banana prices are poised to rise mainly due to the festival season coupled with the crop damage caused by recent spells if wind and rain in banana growing areas.

According to a survey carried out by the Domestic Export and Marketing Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), the average farmgate price of the tropical fruit will be around ₹26-28 per kg for Poovan, ₹28-30 for Karpooravalli and ₹38-40 per kg for Nendhran, respectively, in Coimbatore market during December 2023, subject to favourable weather conditions.

The varsity, in a note, advised farmers in Tamil Nadu to take their selling decisions accordingly depending on arrivals from other key centres. At present, banana arrivals are mainly from Lalgudi, Karur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Theni and local areas of Coimbatore to Coimbatore market.

Major growing States

In Tamil Nadu, the area under banana is 1.02 lakh hectares with production being 42.37 lakh tonnes during 2022-23. Major banana-growing districts are Erode, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Theni, Tirunelveli, Tiruchi, and Kanyakumari. Major centres include Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Cuddalore, Theni, and Coimbatore. Among them, Tiruchi is one of the major centre for supplying the fruit to various parts of the State.

The Price Forecasting Scheme is funded by World Bank supported Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agricultural Modernisation project.

Banana is cultivated on 9.65 lakh hectares with a production of 349.08 lakh tonnes in India during 2022-23, according to the First Advance Estimates of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are the major banana growing States in the country.

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