After three years of losses, banana farmers in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu have reportedly made a profit this year. The crop had not been rewarding for the farmers, either because of the high yields that came in one season or because of natural disasters that damaged the harvest.
N Balakrishnan, Deputy Director of Horticulture, said the pandemic had impacted sales in prior years.
This year, however, the crop was grown on 5,728 hectares of land in the district, and the ryots were overjoyed by a healthy harvest and a price increase that came at the right time.
S Papanasam, president of Perungal Pasana Vivasayigal Nala Sangam said, "Bananas have been sold at a loss to many farmers in the last three years, with prices ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 20. People, on the other hand, were hoping for a good harvest this year. As a result, I planted the crop on 4 acres this year, as opposed to 1.5 acres last year. This has resulted in a profit for me. In Tirunelveli district, bananas are currently offered for Rs 40-45 a kilogram, which is twice the price of prior years."
He also mentioned that the harvest for this season is coming to an end.
Another farmer from Kalakkad said that while pricing had been similar to prior years till a month ago, the situation had changed this month and prices had risen at the opportune time of the harvest.
However, this meant that a handful of those who had sold the harvest a month before had lost money.
According to officials from the State Horticulture Department, the crop's cultivation area has expanded by 400 hectares this year compared to previous years.
They noted that the added cash from selling banana fibers for crafts has aided the farmers this year, as the farmers previously sold the fibers for free.
