Banana is essentially a tropical
fruit which mainly requires hot and humid region to grow perfectly. India is
the leading country in the world in terms of area of cultivation and
production. The country has its own huge consumption of banana as it is available
all around the year and very economic in comparisons to other fruits. Bananas
are naturally free of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Bananas provide a variety of
vitamins like vitamin A, C, B-6 and minerals like iron, magnesium and
potassium.
Growing health awareness has increased
the demand of banana in India as well as all around the world in past few years
but this season did not do well for the banana growers and traders in India. The
major factor affected the sell in the domestic market was the outbreak of NIPAH
VIRUS in Kerala. According to the world health organization, the fruit bat is
the natural host of the virus and often do not display any symptoms.
The outbreak of Nipah virus,
which was resulted in the death of ten people in Kerala, was also likely to
have an adverse impact on India's fruit exports and domestic markets. The
virus, which is released through bats' saliva, urine and excreta, typically
spreads due to bats consuming fruits on trees.
In India, the banana has space
booked at the fruit stall all around the year still then the major season for
banana is the month of SHRAAVAN, ten days of GANPATI, and the whole week of
NAVRATRA. During these peak times banana could not perform well in the market.
Resultantly, the loss in sell has
put some extra burden on the pockets of banana growers, traders and
exporters in all over the country. The major banana growing belts in India are
Burhanpur, Jalgaon and Solapur. The nearest market to Burhanpur is Indore, if
we look in to the past – In the month of SHRAVANA, the rates of banana used to be
above 400 Rs./ Crate ( 20 Rs./ Kg- Wholesale Mandi Price) but this years it didn’t
even cross 280 Rs. (14 Rs./ Kg). The season happened like this in every small
or big market.
Every year, before the season
starts, growers expect more and more from the market so they try to catch up
the season somehow some times by delaying the harvesting and mostly by using
the crop cycle. This year’s season didn’t do well with them. The rates at the
grower side were high but the in the market the rates were very low. The trader
who traded the commodity faced the losses or very less margins but still traded
to maintain their customer linkages.
Anyways, no other bad news from the
NIPAH VIRUS luckily so we hope that the banana won’t melt next years.
