The ubiquitous banana, will occupy centre stage later this month, with the Confederation of Indian Industry set to highlight the business potential offered by this fruit.

Tamil Nadu produces about 8.5 million tonnes of the fruit annually, about one-third of the country’s production.

But only a fraction of it is exported or processed.

Showcasing potential

The CII will organise Tamil Nadu Banana Festival 2012, a two-day exhibition and conference on December 21 and 22 to showcase the potential of the fruit.

Farmers, industry representatives including cold chain infrastructure providers and traders will participate in the event, said B. Thiagarajan, Convenor, Agriculture and Food Processing Panel, CII – Tamil Nadu and President of Blue Star Ltd, a leading refrigeration and cold chain equipment company.

P. Ravichandran, the Festival Chairman and Senior Director, Danfoss Industries, said over 32 varieties of bananas are cultivated each with its own unique characteristic.

The major production centres are in Erode, Coimbatore, Tuticorin, Theni, Madurai, Tiruchi and Tiruvannamalai. The CII will bring out a study on outlining the business opportunities, infrastructure gaps, and ways for the industry, Government and farmers to partner in addressing these issues.

The event, which will be conducted annually, will bring farmers and industry closer, he said.

>balaji.ar@thehindu.co.in

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