Mysuru: The crash in prices of all varieties of bananas in the market in the past few days has worried the growers in the twin districts of Chamarajanagar and Mysuru.
A kg of elachy banana was sold for Rs 70 to Rs 100 and paccha bale for Rs 30 to Rs 40. As there were not many takers for bananas, traders now selling elachy for Rs 15 to 25 per kg and Rs 10 - 15 for the paccha bale variety, leaving growers in distress.
This comes amidst banana crops suffering due to unseasonal rainfall.Several growers are cultivating this commercial crop in the twin districts. Fresh arrivals of bananas from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, excessive banana cultivation, and a drop in consumption during the winter season are attributed to the price crash.
Many farmers are cultivating varieties of banana in the twin districts. Farmers grew this crop on 8,130 acres of land in Chamarajanagar district and 15,137 acres in Mysuru, according to the horticulture department. Traders from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the major buyers for the banana grown in the twin districts followed by buyers from Bengaluru and other districts.
"As banana prices stabilised in the market over the last two years, with elachi varieties fetching Rs 70 to 100 per kg and paccha bale fetching Rs 30, the area of banana cultivation also increased. Traders were also buying directly from farmers by visiting their fields. But now, over the last two months, the situation has completely reversed following the slump in banana prices," said Baradanapura Nagaraj, a banana grower.
"As traders from Tamil Nadu and Kerala stopped purchasing banana varieties, the prices came down. I spent Rs 60,000 to raise the crop on one acre. As traders are now offering Rs 15 to 20 for elachi varieties, it leads to a loss for farmers like me. Though growers can sell their crops to Hopcoms, they purchase only limited quantities, and farmers must book their crops in advance to avail of this facility; not all farmers can benefit," he said.
Speaking to TOI, deputy director Manjunath Angadi said the prices of bananas dropped in the last few days following fresh arrivals from Tamil Nadu, coupled with a drop in consumption of bananas as it is winter season. Besides, there are no major festivals in November, he stated, adding that the area of cultivation of banana has increased, which has added to the issue. Prices may stabilise in the coming months, he said.
As the department also encourages banana cultivation under MNREGA, the national state and horticulture mission, and other schemes, the area of cultivation of bananas also increases every year in the district, he said.