Coimbatore : Owing to floods and harsh winds experienced during the months of July to October in Mettupalayam and surrounding areas, the harvest of bananas especially nendran variety has been severely hit.
Coimbatore : Owing to floods and harsh winds experienced during the months of July to October in Mettupalayam and surrounding areas, the harvest of bananas especially nendran variety has been severely hit.
The farmers in Karamadai, Annur and Mettupalayam cultivate banana in more than 10,000 hectares of land. Varieties like nendran, robusta and red Banana from Mettupalayam has a huge export market and is being supplied within the country to Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The nendran variety banana takes three months to mature and has been cultivated in around 3000 hectares of land in Mettupalayam.
Overall banana cultivation in Mettupalayam had come down due to the harsh weather conditions that prevailed during the last year. As the crop duration is eight to nine months, the bananas which were due to harvest this summer were all destroyed during the Bhavani river flooding in September 2018. Adding to the wrath, the gusty winds in the region during November and December also have contributed to the devastation of banana cultivation.
Hence, the supply has taken a huge hit at the Mettupalayam wholesale auction centre, thus leading to soaring prices. Until, the next season the demand and price hike would continue, opine the farmers.
Though Kerala is also a major supplier of banana varieties especially nendran, the devastating floods that hit the State last year destroyed more than 50% of the banana farms and thus led to a supply crisis.
In 2017, due to drought the cultivation of banana was gravely affected. To the contrary, in 2018 excess rains and floods had destroyed acres of cultivation. Due to such volatile situations, the banana cultivation in Mettupalayam which was earlier over 6000 hectares has come down to less than 4000 hectares.
The farmers in Karamadai, Annur and Mettupalayam cultivate banana in more than 10,000 hectares of land. Varieties like nendran, robusta and red Banana from Mettupalayam has a huge export market and is being supplied within the country to Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The nendran variety banana takes three months to mature and has been cultivated in around 3000 hectares of land in Mettupalayam.
Overall banana cultivation in Mettupalayam had come down due to the harsh weather conditions that prevailed during the last year. As the crop duration is eight to nine months, the bananas which were due to harvest this summer were all destroyed during the Bhavani river flooding in September 2018. Adding to the wrath, the gusty winds in the region during November and December also have contributed to the devastation of banana cultivation.
Hence, the supply has taken a huge hit at the Mettupalayam wholesale auction centre, thus leading to soaring prices. Until, the next season the demand and price hike would continue, opine the farmers.
Though Kerala is also a major supplier of banana varieties especially nendran, the devastating floods that hit the State last year destroyed more than 50% of the banana farms and thus led to a supply crisis.
In 2017, due to drought the cultivation of banana was gravely affected. To the contrary, in 2018 excess rains and floods had destroyed acres of cultivation. Due to such volatile situations, the banana cultivation in Mettupalayam which was earlier over 6000 hectares has come down to less than 4000 hectares.