National Seminar-cum-Workshop organised for Banana to boost Banana cultivation and trade

29th September 2023, Lucknow

ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, in collaboration with ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research and M/s. Jain Irrigation Systems Limited, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, organised a National Seminar on “Recent Technological Advancements in Banana Production and Value Addition at ICAR-IISR, Lucknow today.

Shri. Manoj Kumar Singh, IAS, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh was the Chief Guest of the workshop. He briefed farmers about the good irrigation facility and soil fertility both of which are suitable for banana cultivation. Shri. Singh also briefed that Govt. of Uttar Pradesh is also planning to establish a tissue culture facility in Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with ICAR-NRC Banana along with private firms like M/s.JISL, Maharashtra for quality planting material production and facilitate its distribution to the farming community at a subsidized cost.

Dr. V.B. Patel, Assistant Director General (Fruits and Plantation crops), ICAR, was the Guest of Honour of the function. He advised the farmers to go for crop diversification with bananas as it guarantees a better price for the product. Post-harvest and value addition in bananas opens up better and wider avenues for entrepreneurship development.

Dr. Damodaran, Director, CISH, Lucknow, encouraged the farmers to banana cultivation without fearing the newly emerging fusarium wilt disease on Grand Naine by using FUSICONT, a biocontrol agent for its effective management.

Shri. K.B. Patil from JISL reiterated the significance of automation in drip irrigation which saves 30% water and 20% fertilizers and 20% higher yield compared to manual drip irrigation. He advised the farmers to go for June-July month planting to avoid cold injury and disease incidence.

Dr. Selvarajan, Director, ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, accentuated the achievements made by the Institute in doubling the farmer’s income. He indicated the development of climate resilient banana variety ‘Kaveri Saba’ which is both salt and drought-tolerant. Dr. Selvarajan, emphasised the importance of Banana Shakti, a micronutrient mixture available with the centre for banana cultivation.

Around 250 farmers from different parts of Uttar Pradesh participated in the workshop.

(Source: ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli)