DINDIGUL: Sirumalai Banana farmers decry frequent attack of pests, insects and unseasonal rainfall for their losses in Dindigul district for the last few years.
The Sirumalai Banana is known for its unique smell and flavour. The ripe fruits are yellowish in color with a thicker peel. The shelf life is up to ten days. The fruit pulp is slightly harder with less moisture content, high sugar and potassium content.
Speaking to TNIE, T Vignesh, a farmer, said, "I own more than 40 acres of banana farmland in Sirumalai. Though it is small in size, it is strong, as the plant absorbs less water and is highly nutritious. However, over a period of time, due to the regular attack of diseases including wilt disease and ant attacks, farmers have suffered huge losses. For example, a single branch used to have 11-12 bunches of bananas, now a single branch contains seven to eight bunches. Furthermore, there is an increase in the attack of wild boars. Moreover, the input cost is hovering from Rs 1.25 to 1.75 lakh per acre. Hence, many have started to leave banana farming in the past several years."
Another farmer, K Sethuraj, said, "Though our plants require less water, we face problems including diseases such as wilt and 'bunchy top', which was a devastating viral disease. Many farmers faced huge losses amounting to several lakhs and they lost hope in banana farming. When a farmer spends more than Rs 1 lakh on banana farming, around Rs 20,000 to 25,000 is spent on insecticides, herbicides and pesticides. Some of the popular pesticides cost around Rs 450 per litre. Hence, the high input cost is forcing many farmers to sell their land to big farmers. Besides, unseasonal rainfall also cause losses. If the banana needs water during flowering season, and it rains after fruition, the water damages the fruit and trees."
An official from the Horticulture Department (Dindigul) said, "Farmers have faced a number of practical difficulties in the past few years. One of the prime causes is due to the usage of tuber (sucker) infected by the bunchy top (virus) bananas. When it is reused, the spots spread on the bunchy top. Some farmers from Adalur (Kollimalai to Namakkal) use such infected suckers. Sometimes, farmers do not completely remove the sucker and burn or dispose the spot. Many farmers cannot follow crop rotation, since it is near hilly areas and due to unavailablility of water. This banana is 12 to 15 feet in height and the crop period for is more than a year. Few farmers have proper records, some of the plantations are grown in poramboke land, so beneficiaries cannot claim complete compensation."