MY AGRI JOURNEY CONTINUES..... BANANA 🍌EXPERIENCE
MY AGRI JOURNEY CONTINUES..... BANANA 🍌EXPERIENCE
Took up banana cultivation on 3 acre plot as inter cropping in 1 year old lemon 🍋 plantations ( though it is not a good idea still doing it to compensate the huge loss we made with chillies cultivation on the same plot)
We took up chekkrakeli variety which is premium banana in AP market. The drawback with this extremely tasty banana is it’s keeping quality is very low and can not be exported to long distance markets.
Banana is 10 months to 1 year crop and for acre 1000 tubers can be planted ( number vary with variety of banana). Cost of cultivation is 1 lakh /acre in which major expenditure is land lease of rs 50000/acre, followed by manure and fertilizers. Pesticides are not used on banana crop.
During Sept-Oct banana prices are very attractive and traders were moving around to enter rate contracts.
We sold our crop @ Rs 200/ each bunch and took token advance. If the trader can sell around Rs 250 he will reach break even point. Our crop will come for harvest from first week of jan 18 and if the rate is stable trader and we as farmers will make some profit. If rates fall down drastically the trader will forfeit advance and leave the crop, even otherwise based on his realization in markets he will reduce payments to farmer. Medium to large scale farmers are reluctant to go to markets directly due to unorganised setup and the ill treatment they receive.
Already the banana rates had fallen and now chekerskeli is around 150/bunch as against contracted rate of 200.
As for contract the farmer is expected profit of Rs 80000/acre which is pretty decent. But due to inconsistent markets and drastic variations in rates due to manipulations and no controls or monitoring on systems farmers are put to heavy losses more so into unpleasant situations.
If farmers are ensured consistent returns on cost plus model with fluctuations in the range of +or- 10% like industry , the farmers will feel comfortable and live with pride and dignity.
BGR
Took up banana cultivation on 3 acre plot as inter cropping in 1 year old lemon 🍋 plantations ( though it is not a good idea still doing it to compensate the huge loss we made with chillies cultivation on the same plot)
We took up chekkrakeli variety which is premium banana in AP market. The drawback with this extremely tasty banana is it’s keeping quality is very low and can not be exported to long distance markets.
Banana is 10 months to 1 year crop and for acre 1000 tubers can be planted ( number vary with variety of banana). Cost of cultivation is 1 lakh /acre in which major expenditure is land lease of rs 50000/acre, followed by manure and fertilizers. Pesticides are not used on banana crop.
During Sept-Oct banana prices are very attractive and traders were moving around to enter rate contracts.
We sold our crop @ Rs 200/ each bunch and took token advance. If the trader can sell around Rs 250 he will reach break even point. Our crop will come for harvest from first week of jan 18 and if the rate is stable trader and we as farmers will make some profit. If rates fall down drastically the trader will forfeit advance and leave the crop, even otherwise based on his realization in markets he will reduce payments to farmer. Medium to large scale farmers are reluctant to go to markets directly due to unorganised setup and the ill treatment they receive.
Already the banana rates had fallen and now chekerskeli is around 150/bunch as against contracted rate of 200.
As for contract the farmer is expected profit of Rs 80000/acre which is pretty decent. But due to inconsistent markets and drastic variations in rates due to manipulations and no controls or monitoring on systems farmers are put to heavy losses more so into unpleasant situations.
If farmers are ensured consistent returns on cost plus model with fluctuations in the range of +or- 10% like industry , the farmers will feel comfortable and live with pride and dignity.
BGR
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