Banking News – Chitwan farmers have been affected after failing to receive fair prices despite increased banana production. Banana prices have halved, bananas are rotting in the fields due to lack of sales, and farmers are worried about spoilage. Banana imports were halted from last year. With the import halt, farmers had increased production.

Bishnuhari Panta, President of the Nepal Banana Producers Federation, stated that farmers are currently forced to sell bananas at three to four rupees per bunch. “Banana prices in the market have declined abnormally for some days,” he said. “Bananas that were sold at up to nine rupees per bunch have now dropped to four rupees.”

Banana farming is done on 23,000 bighas across the country. Two thousand saplings can be planted in one bigha of land. Each plant yields 100 to 200 bunches of bananas. Nepal is self-sufficient in bananas. After the banana import halt, farmers had started farming by adding three thousand bighas more. Panta stated that bananas should be exported next year.

Banana prices have fallen in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, and other places. Prices have fallen in those locations because market management could not be done according to time. Farmers have planned production to maintain market supply until Falgun, Chaitra, and Baisakh. Banana production has increased to nine lakh metric tons. Banana prices are likely to increase until Dashain, Tihar, and Chhath.

Prices are estimated to rise after Falgun. In Chitwan, banana farming is being done on 1,850 hectares in the Superzone area. This is 15 percent of Nepal’s total area. Ghananath Mahatto, President of the Banana Producers Association, Chitwan, stated that problems have arisen because farmers’ produce is not being taken and what is taken cheaply is being sold expensively. Consumers are still forced to buy G-9 bananas at more than Rs 100 per dozen.

There is an increasing possibility of bananas spoiling in the fields due to lack of sales. Prices have fallen because bananas could not be sent for sale to major markets including the capital due to the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli flood and other reasons. Shankar Subedi, a farmer from Ratnanagar Municipality-12 in eastern Chitwan, stated that prices fell because they could not reach various places due to the flood. Subedi has been farming bananas on 64 bighas of land. He stated that from this year, he is planning to plant banana varieties that produce year-round to make the country self-sufficient.

He stated that if the price of produced bananas does not fall below the cost price, Nepali farmers can easily become self-sufficient in bananas. According to Federation statistics, one farmer in Nepal has planted bananas on up to 100 bighas of land. On Ashoj 6 last year, the government had decided to ban banana imports. That decision came into effect from Poush 6. Encouraged by this, farmers increased banana farming. Malbhog, G-9, and Chini Champa varieties of bananas are being farmed in Nepal.