Tamil Nadu, India’s southernmost state, is the country’s leading producer of bananas. The region has been particularly successful of late, with banana production doubling in the past four years.
In the 2012 to 2013 season, Tamil Nadu produced over 8m tonnes of bananas, up from 4.9m tonnes in 2009 to 2010. This means the state contributed to nearly a third of India’s total crop of 30.8m tonnes of bananas.
Despite this success, banana retail prices are steadily rising. The popular robusta variety currently sells as Rs25 (US$0.46) per kg, compare to Rs20 (US$0.37) five years ago.
Local retailers state this is the result of poor supply, particularly in certain varieties.
'We had a shortage of stock of the poovan variety in the past three months,' said Nagarajan, owner banana shop Theni APK Vazhai Ulagam in Koyambedu wholesale fruit market. 'With poovan stock falling short, robusta prices shot up on a rise in demand.'
A lack of adequate cold storage and ripening facilities also push up banana prices during times of diminished supply. These facilities are unlikely to become available in the near future.
