6 months ago
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Although implicit 40 products person been manufactured with worth summation to banana, a large harvest successful the Tiruchi district, lone 10 oregon truthful person go economically feasible successful caller years, making it imperative to diversify the process, R. Selvarajan, director, ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), has said.
“We person fixed 250 licences for manufacturing banana stem foodstuff to agri-tech entrepreneurs successful Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. For a interest of ₹25,000, farmers are trained to nutrient and marketplace the merchandise nether our mentorship. Similarly, banana fibre extraction, which has a licence interest of ₹1 lakh, is simply a highly profitable endeavor if done successful the close manner. Many farmers are unaware of the imaginable of the banana’s circular economy,” Mr. Selvarajan told The Hindu.
Of late, companies person been coming up with products specified arsenic noodles and pasta made with millet flour, banana blossom pickles, cookies, vigor malt drinks, and truthful on.
This year, the export marketplace for earthy banana flour has boomed successful West Asian and European countries, said Mr. Selvarajan. Additionally, NRCB has contented licence to astatine slightest 10 farmers specialising successful ripe banana pulverization that tin beryllium utilized arsenic a earthy sweetener oregon sweetener substitute.
“To prolong the support beingness of the banana from 3 days to respective months, we are utilizing star dehydrators and earthy preservatives specified arsenic chromatic and ghee to make our products. Value-added products assistance banana farmers to monetise their harvest surplus alternatively of destroying it. As consciousness astir banana’s medicinal benefits goes up, determination volition beryllium much takers for value-added products,” said V. A. Kalyanasundaram from the selling section of Tamil Nadu Banana Producer Company Ltd., an umbrella organisation of the Thottiyam Banana Producer Group (TBPC).
With a rank of implicit 1,000 farmers, TBPC sells astatine slightest 15 value-added banana products nether the ‘Madhur Fruits’ brand.
“Every portion of the banana works has a commercialized value, which is utile for tiny and marginal farmers. We are trying to promote clusters of farmers to put successful exertion and grooming to support their costs low. Though exertion is readily available, lone 70% of farmers who usage it are capable to prolong their production,” said Mr. Selvarajan.
In the coming months, NRCB is readying to unfastened a web portal to merchantability the products of their licensees online. “We privation to amusement banana growers that if done right, their profits from worth summation tin lucifer oregon transcend their cultivation income,” helium said.
