New Delhi, November 10 (Language) The Commerce Ministry on Friday said that the first trial consignment of bananas has been exported to the Netherlands.
The ministry said that for the trial batch of bananas, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken the assistance of ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow for technical assistance. While INI Farms has partnered with Del Monte for distribution, and marketing in Europe. For logistics, a partnership has been made with Miersk.
It said that export of bananas to the Netherlands would increase prices and hence increase the income of farmers.
Despite being the world’s largest banana producer, India’s export share in the global market is currently only one percent, although the country accounts for 26.45 percent of the world’s banana production of 35.36 million tonnes.
India exported bananas worth $176 million in the financial year 2022-23.
“With the first trial consignment in the European market, it is estimated that India may be able to export bananas worth more than one billion dollars in the next five years,” it said.
Major export destinations of Indian bananas include countries like Iran, Iraq, UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Afghanistan and Maldives.
It said that there are huge export opportunities in countries like America, Russia, Japan, Germany, China, Netherlands, Britain and France.
Exports are estimated to be more than $303 million this financial year.
Andhra Pradesh is the largest banana producing state, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
These five states collectively contributed about 67 percent of the country’s banana production in the financial year 2022-23.
Other banana producing states include Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Mizoram and Tripura.
Language Rajesh Rajesh Raman
Raman
