After months of low banana prices, which have been troubling growers in Tiruchi, a sharp increase at the city's wholesale market ahead of the Pongal festival, has brought relief.
Traders at the Ghandi Market in the city, one of the biggest wholesale markets of the region, are reporting huge arrivals ahead of the harvest festival.
“Normally we used to get around 15,000 to 20,000 bunches a day. Over the past couple of days, arrivals range at around 40,000 bunches a day,” said K.P. Palanivel, president, Plantain Traders Association of Gandhi Market.
Mr.Palanivel said that the price of the poovan variety, which sees high demand during the festival, touched Rs.500 a bunch (top quality) at the auction held on Tuesday. The variety had fetched between Rs. 150 to Rs. 350 a bunch at the beginning of the month.
Traders said the price of rasthali ranged between Rs. 100 to Rs. 400, karpooravali between Rs. 50 and Rs. 400 and Monthan between Rs. 100 and Rs. 350 a bunch.
A.Nagarajan, State president of the farmers wing of the Tamil Mannila Congress, reiterated his demand for setting up a cold storage facility at the Gandhi Market for the benefit of farmers. However, traders are not so enthusiastic: Mr.Palanivel felt that the Horticulture Department and research agencies such as National Research Centre for Banana, should first educate farmers and traders on how long the fruits can be preserved in cold storage in bunches.
Mr. Nagarajan also said the government should take steps to provide bananas for the noon meal to protect farmers from price fluctuations.
