For a state that consumes nearly Rs 500 crore worth of bananas every year - one of the highest in the country - it is no mean achievement that it is now growing its own bananas and that too king-size. What started as a small attempt in some of the districts of the state such as Ludhiana and Mohali in 2006, after farmers and scientists from Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) went to Terai area of Uttaranchal to get tips on banana cultivation, is now spreading across the central and southern parts of the state.

While Punjab claims its fruit is sweeter and better, for farmers such as Chamkaur Singh of Tohra village its sweetness has more to do with the good returns it is fetching. With just two acres of his land under banana cultivation, he has been able to earn Rs 1.25 lakh per acre. The fruit’s inclusion in the National Horticulture Mission recently is likely to further sweeten the proposition for Punjab farmers, as up to 50 per cent subsidy will now be offered for its plants and drip irrigation. So out of Rs 16 that the plant costs, the farmers will have to bear just Rs 8 as the cost per plant, explains Dr P S Rangi, consultant with the Punjab Farmers Commission, which is piloting the project.

There are, however, certain points of concern. The first crop carries a risk of failure though the commission says the next three crops are practically risk-free. Also, bananas are sensitive to frost and excessive cold — the reason why most of northern Punjab has been found to be unsuitable for its cultivation. “In the northern parts of Punjab, temperatures dip as low as minus four degrees. This can destroy the crop, which is why districts such as Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Nawan Shehar are off the list and the farmers of central Punjab such as Patiala, Moga, Ludhiana, Ropar, Mohali and the cotton belt such as Bathinda and Sangrur are being encouraged to grow the fruit. Besides the strategy is to cut the fruit by November before the winter strikes, as bananas are also in huge demand then due to the festive season,” adds Rangi.

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