Anantapur: Lockdown has no impact on banana exports

Anantapur: Banana exports remained unaffected and the volume of exports remained the same even in corona lockdown context but the export price has declined from Rs 8,000 per tonne in 2018-19 fiscal to Rs 5,000 per tone.

Banana farmer Rajasekhar from Tadipatri told The Hans India that although they are disappointed at the slump in banana export price in the lockdown context, he said he is happy that the exporters honouring the MoUs and buying their produce although at a reduced price. The reduced price is still a remunerative one, he adds.

Presently the domestic inland price and the export price have almost been the same, with about Rs 3,000 per tonne fall in export prices of Grand Naine variety bananas.

Last year the volume of exports was 18,000 tonnes while in the current year it is touching 20,000 tonnes. Horticulture assistant director Chandrasekhar told The Hans India that the exporters were purchasing from farmers under an MOU entered into with them.

The export product is being sent by railway rakes to an extent of 1,000 tonne per week. Whether these are immediately sent abroad or being stored in cold storages by exporters is not known. What is now being done is honouring of MOUs by export agencies. One kilogram of bananas is being sold at Rs.14 and one tonne at Rs.14,500. The production in the district is 8.5 lakh tones.

Sources in the INI export group revealed that the company soon after harvesting the crop takes them through a process of cleaning, grading, spraying and improving its quality and outlook before finally packing them.

He said that his company alone is acquiring 10,000 tonnes from the farmers. Besides other companies Big Bazzar and Desai group are also exporting the fruit to countries abroad. Delhi is also the biggest local market for bananas. More than 10,000 banana farmers are cultivating bananas in a minimum of 5 acres each and there are farmers raising bananas in 10 to 50 acres each.

An estimated 8 lakh tonnes of bananas are being produced in 16,000 hectares in Beluguppa, Narpala, Putluru, Ellanur, Tadimarri, Yadiki and Pedapappur mandals in the district.

An estimated 50 tonnes is produced per hectare of banana plantation. Of the 8 lakh tonnes something like 18,000 tonnes of bananas was being exported every year. The bananas are exported to Central American countries including Ecuador, Brazil, Philippines, Honduras, Sri Lanka and South African continent.

Most of the produce caters to inland national markets in Bengaluru and to a great extent the Delhi market and even to other northern states apart from the local AP market.