Banana growers in Tiruchi who cultivated the Poovan and Karpooravalli banana varieties are suffering extensive losses. The growers have been delaying their harvest in the hope of receiving better prices, but this has not materialised.
Since the Tiruchi market offers very low prices, one farmer, Mr. Ramalingam sent a load to the Madurai market expecting better prices there. Yet the situation was the same. He sold a bunch of bananas for Rs. 50 as against the average price of Rs. 150 to Rs. 200.
Mr. Ramalingam said he spent about Rs. 150,000 over the last 12 months to raise banana on an acre. However, he sold the fruits for only Rs. 50,000. He will have to wait another two years to get back the money that he invested.
Many farmers who cultivated the Karpooravalli and Poovan varieties are in a similar situation. There are reports that some farmers dumped the fully ripened fruits because of the sharp fall in market prices.
“I have seen farmers in villages dumping the fruits in the garbage instead of transporting them to the market because they can't afford the huge transportation costs,” Mr. Ramalingam added.
