Rayalaseema in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is perennially drought hit, but farmers there are seeing some success with banana cultivation, which is taking root in the Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur districts. The farmers are also seeing huge potential from the Bengaluru, Chennia and Kolkata markets.
P Venkatachandra Reddy, who cultivated banana on his one-acre farmland, says the plantation yielded 70 tonnes. "I earned Rs 400,000 from the crop. I will soon shift to tissue culture banana crop in my other farms too," he told Times Of India.
Horticulture officials said the new grand nine (G9) variety is paying dividends for the farmers in the region; horticulture assistant director S V Ratnacharyulu said the tissue culture banana cultivation was introduced under the state plan for 2015-16 with an objective to make AP self-sufficient in banana production.
Nearly 17,000 acres has been brought under tissue culture banana across the state with Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur taking the lead in the last year. Senior officials claimed that the variety will have more takers due to its tolerance to biotic stress and good quality bunches. G9 variety (pedda pachcha arati) belongs to the Cavendish group.
What clinches the issue for the farmers is the high yield. While the traditional banana crop gives 20 tonnes per acre, this variety yields 60-70 tonnes per acre. Buoyed by the tissue culture banana, officials are now planning to introduce farming of grapes in the region.
"We have an application prepared by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists to estimate the exact crop yield and other issues relating to the crop," a scientist said.
Andhra Pradesh is the fourth largest banana producing state in the country with nearly 10 per cent of yield coming from the state.
(1 Indian Rupee= 0.015 USD)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
