With a production of 37.47 million metric tonnes, India is the largest producer of bananas in the world, followed by China, Indonesia, Brazil, and Ecuador. In fact, India accounts for 19.37% of global production of this most consumed staple fruit worldwide.
Within India, Gujarat ranks third among the states with an 11.81% share in banana production. Interestingly, even as Gujarat ranks third in the country after Andhra Pradesh, which enjoys a 17.64% share, and Maharashtra, which has a 12.77% share, when it comes to productivity per hectare, Gujarat tops not only in the country but across the globe.
“At 65.91 tonnes per hectare, the productivity of bananas in Gujarat is higher than the national average of 35.78 tonnes per hectare and the global average of 17.18 tonnes per hectare. This is due to the highest adoption of tissue culture saplings and modern production technologies, apart from favourable soils and climatic conditions,” said AAU
vice-chancellor Dr K B Kathiria.
In Gujarat, Bharuch district leads with a productivity of 72.55 tonnes per hectare, followed by districts like Narmada, Chhota Udepur, Vadodara, and Anand. Together, these five districts contribute more than 80% of the state’s banana production.
Even though it is ranked 18th, India showed an impressive five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27% for the export of bananas to countries like Iraq, Iran, UAE, Uzbekistan, and Oman.
“Bharuch, Narmada, and Surat districts significantly contribute to banana exports of 400 metric tonnes, generating Rs 2.52 crore in revenue. But there is a huge potential in traditional as well as newly found markets of developed countries like the USA, UK, and other Shenzhen countries,” he said.
For the promotion of exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has identified clusters in the country, mostly located in the western and southern parts of India, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
“Due to the export promotional activities of the Gujarat and Union govts, there is great potential for banana exports from Gujarat,” Kathiria said.
