Banana price shoots up in Karnataka due to slump in its cultivation

CHIKKAMAGALURU: There has been growing demand for bananas, especially in Narasimharajapura taluk in the district. However, prices have gone up due to slump in production. Farmers in Narasimharajapura taluk traditionally opted for banana cultivation but due to certain reasons, the area of cultivation has declined which has led to rise in prices.
Nendran banana or the Nenthra pazham, G 9 variety of banana, pachbale, rasabale are largely grown in the region. Nendran bananas have good demand in neighbouring Dakshina Kannada district and also in the neighbouring state of Kerala. A large quantity of bananas is transported to the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada.
Apart from that, locally grown bananas are in great demand for chips. The district has many chip production units. Nendra banana costs Rs 18 per kilo and G 9 costs Rs 25. Pachbale costs Rs 12, karbale Rs 25 and rasabale costs Rs 39 per kilo.
A banana vendor in Kudregundi bordering Koppa and NR Pura taluk, Sandeep said the demand for bananas has increased due to low production.
The farmers have stopped cultivating bananas and are getting into areca cultivation. However, a small number of farmers grow the G9 variety of banana.
Fluctuating prices
Sundresh, a grower, said, Nendra variety of banana needs extra care and it is a little risky to cultivate. Due to the shortage of labourers and high production cost, the farmers were not showing interest, he said, adding fluctuations in the prices also resulted in low productions.
However, an officer of the horticulture department said the area of cultivation of bananas has declined after the outbreak of Covid-19. There is a good demand for bananas owing to shortage, he added.