Banana, the second largest fruit crop in the world, is recognized to be the fourth important food crop in terms of gross value. As the largest producer of banana in the world, India contributes nearly 23% to the total global production.
Gujarat is one of the largest producers of banana in the country. The productivity of banana in Gujarat (42.7 MT/ha) is even higher than the global standard (24.7 MT/ha.). The production of banana in Gujarat during 2004-05 was more than 1.9 million tonnes from 46, 347 ha. Anand, Surat, Vadodara, Narmada, Bharuch and Kheda are the major banana producing districts contributing about 93.36 per cent to the total banana production in the state. In the past few years, several consignments of banana were exported from Gujarat to the Middle East countries and the reports were quite encouraging.
With the twin objectives of exploiting this competitive advantage and facilitating the export of green banana from the state, the Govt. of Gujarat proposes to establish a Banana Pack House at Uchab in Bharuch district. This proposal has been approved by APEDA under their scheme for Infrastructure Development. APEDA has sanctioned Rs. 441.84 lakhs for the project and GAIC/GOG shall invest Rs. 182.06 lakhs. This Pack House would comprise of inspection, delatexing, grading, sorting, quality checking, weighing, labeling, packing in polybags, devaccuming, packing in cartons, storage in cold room and dispatch through reefer containers. The proposed pack house is expected to I provide a much needed impetus to banana exports from the state.
APEDA is implementing a GoI-UNCTAD-DFID Project on Strategies and Preparedness for Globalization in India as Tier I partner for agriculture sector. APEDA has identified Gujarat as one of the two states for the implementation of an "Integrated Training Programme for Export Oriented Production of Banana". An MOU in this regard was signed between GA1C and APEDA as Tier II partners. Banana fanners in the districts surrounding the Banana Pack House will be provided an opportunity to link with the export trade directly through proposed trainings for growing bananas in keeping with the quality requirements of the identified markets. |
