National Banana Festival begins at Madurai

The 4th edition of National Banana Festival started at Madurai. The three day festival is organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with National and State governments along with trade association, Tamil Nadu Banana Growers Federation. According to experts, Tamil Nadu, the fifth largest producer of banana in the world, accounting for nearly 30% of the world’s banana yield, has the potential to become the largest producer within the next five years. “The state government has made great strides in increasing the productivity of banana farms”, said R Doraikkannu, Minister for Agriculture while inaugurating the festival. He pointed out that while the national average of banana yield is 37 metric tonne per hectare, it is over 100 metric tonne per hectare in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is the only state in India that produces over 18 varieties of banana, while other Indian states do not produce more than 4 varieties. Theni, Tiruchi, Erode, Tuticorin, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Tanjore and Dindigul districts are leading in banana cultivation. Ministers from Union and State governments, senior officials, industrial leaders from India and abroad also participated in the fest. Introduction of high-yield crop varieties, conferences, seminars, exhibition stalls with major companies and organizations showcasing latest technologies for banana cultivation are the major attractions of the coming days. The festival will end on 23rd July.