India: Banana farmers in Kerala battle low retail prices

Kottayam: While farmers from Punjab and Haryana are laying siege to national capital New Delhi demanding continuity of minimum support prices (MSP) for their produce, many other farmers across India who do not have the MSP safety net are in dire straits.

Farmers who cultivate farm produce that are covered by MSP can at least be assured of a support price but that is not the case for others who have to depend on open markets to sell their produce.

Fruit growers in Kerala, particularly banana farmers, have fallen into hard times with retail prices at a low of Rs 25 (Dhs1.25) per kg. Given the large margins of intermediaries in fruit and vegetable markets, a retail price of Rs 25 kg can mean that the farmer would be getting roughly Rs 15 per kg of bananas.

Multiple setbacks

It has been a series of setbacks for banana farmers in the state this year with the COVID-19 lockdown affecting sales in the first half of the year, followed by depressed demand in later months.

The biggest blow came in November when it was confirmed that this year’s Sabarimala prilgrimage would be a lean affair, owing to lockdown-related restrictions.

Sabarimala pilgrims were major consumers of bananas in the state during the November-January pilgrimage season, either buying fresh bananas for consumption or enjoying banana fritters from wayside eateries. This year, that market has literally vanished.

Extended farming

Jose Mathew Kochukudy, an award-winning farmer based in Thodupuzha, says the spread of banana cultivation across more area has been a direct cause for the price crash. “Earlier, bananas came to Kerala primarily from Tamil Nadu. In recent years, Kerala farmers who went to Karnataka to cultivate ginger have also turned to banana farming with the result that the Kerala banana market now has a Tamil Nadu season and a Karnataka season besides the Kerala season”.

Abraham Jacob, a farmer in Kottayam district, agrees. “The flow of bananas from across the borders of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are seriously affecting Kerala banana growers. The crop here is of distinctly better quality, but that does not fetch a higher price because of the large volumes from other states that depress prices”, says Jacob.

University help

In May this year, the Kerala Agricultural University had to step in to help banana farmers from Perumatty panchayat who were in distress owing to falling prices.

The university had on that occasion procured bananas from the farmers to convert them into value-added products. Some of the banana-based value-added products are green banana powder, chips, fruit pulp and juices.

At a national level, too, India is grappling with surplus produce of a number of agricultural items including wheat, rice and sugarcane.