The production of banana in Tamil Nadu has increased over the past four years to more than eight million tonnes in 2012-13.
Agriculture company Syngenta India in a statement said this was compared to the total industry production of 30.8 million tonnes during the same period. “In 2009-10, the production of banana in Tamil Nadu was over 4.9 million tonnes”, it said.
Meanwhile, at the ongoing Tamil Nadu Banana Festival in Coimbatore, the company’s stall was inaugurated by the State Agriculture Minister S Damodaran. Trade body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tamil Nadu Banana Growers Federation are organising the festival in Coimbatore.
As part of offering its services to banana growers in banana cultivation due to diseases affecting the crop, Syngenta India Commercial Unit Head, Katragada Phanindra said his company has conducted over 45 mega farmer training programmes to educate them on crop protection.