Two months ago, Kailash Thate, a young man with 10 acres of farmland close to the Ujjani dam, set up an agro-processing unit to extract fibres from banana stems that is used to manufacture paper.

Thate had visited an agro-business convention where participants were encouraged to take up banana stem processing. Soon after he had set up his own unit, he found more than 400 banana growers, who were interested in the technology, visiting his farm to learn the basics. Now, at least 60 of these farmers have decided to set up similar units on their own farmlands.

The driving force behind the project is a Tamil Nadu-based paper manufacturing firm, Eco Green Unit, and a Pune-based NGO Chaitanya Mandal. Eco Green is buying the fibre directly from farmers for its two paper making units in Pondicherry and Chennai. The NGO is coordinating between the farm and the manufacturing unit.

“Three weeks ago, I sent the first consignment of one tonne banana fibre to Tamil Nadu. As per the contract, I will be paid Rs 40 per kg,” said Thate.

The NGO organises seminars across the state to make farmers aware of the economic benefits of processing banana stems — an agriculture waste. The farmers are very enthusiastic about this new venture, said Dileep Kulkarni of Chaitanya Mandal.

“Earlier the farmers had to pay Rs 3,000 per acre to get their fields cleared. Now, if they decide to supply banana stem to the processing units they would not only save on that amount but instead they would be paid well for it,” said Kulkarni.

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