KADAPA: After hitting months of financial distress, banana farmers in Kadapa district are finally seeing profits as prices have surged to `25,000 per tonne.
The sharp recovery has brought much-needed relief to cultivators who faced heavy losses when prices plunged to `2,000–`3,000 per quintal in December, forcing many to leave bunches unharvested or use them as cattle feed. Banana cultivation is highest in Pulivendula constituency, with 13,820 hectares under the crop, according to e-Crop data.
Major acreage is concentrated in Lingala (5,350 hectares), Pulivendula (1,660), Vemula (1,287), Simhadripuram (1,256), Kashinayana (1,237), Maidukuru (849) and Kondapuram (718).
Farmers typically invest nearly `1.5 lakh per acre, with yields ranging between 15 and 20 tonnes.
Unlike seasonal crops, bananas are cultivated year-round, though most farmers plan harvests during February to April when demand is traditionally higher.
Pulivendula bananas are exported to Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Arab countries. Farmers and traders say the fruit is distinct in taste, quality and shelf life. While bananas from other regions remain fresh for 8-10 days, those from Pulivendula last 12-14 days, attributed to slightly saline soil and modern farming techniques.
With the wedding season boosting demand, along with increased orders from abroad, farmers say they are finally earning good returns after deducting cultivation expenses.
The rise in prices has also restored confidence among cultivators who had been struggling to recover labour and input costs.
Karunakara Reddy of Lingala mandal, who cultivated 3,600 plants on three acres, said each bunch weighing 25-30 kg fetched up to `625. “After months of financial distress, we are finally seeing profits,” he said.
Another farmer, K Srinivasulu Reddy of Pulivendula, recalled the December slump. “At that time, we were helpless. The present rise in prices has brought us relief,” he said.