Davanagere
The prices of bananas skyrocket during the month of Shravana and other festivals. But now, due to the winter season, the yield has increased and the price of banana has come down drastically. A kg of cardamom bananas are being sold for Rs 30-40, Robusta at Rs 20-25 per kg. The same are purchased from farmers at a price ranging from Rs 15 to Rs 25. Only farmers are being bought by touts at a price of Rs 25.
The prices of bananas, which had gone up during the months of Shravan and Ramzan, have come down. Brokers are selling at affordable prices to the common man. But even though the rates are low in the APMC, the consumers are turning their backs.
The yield has also increased as it is very cold. Thus, bananas are coming to the market in abundance, the price has come down, the brokers said.
Farmers in the district are cultivating bananas on a large scale. Bananas are grown and sold in Jagalur, Chitradurga, Channagiri, Mayakonda, Harihara and other places. Earlier, Davangere banana was in high demand in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Now exports have stopped as farmers are growing more bananas in that area. Brokers are buying tones at the rate of Rs 2,500 per tone from farmers. The farmers complain that selling them at a higher rate in the market is doing injustice to the farmers.
Suresh, a banana seller, said, more banana yields are coming. So, the rate has come down. Bananas going to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are stopped. We are buying Robusts banana at Rs 30 per kg and after it ripe selling it at Rs 40 per kg, get a profit of Rs 5-10, he said.
