Banana Farmers Protest Price Crash
Farmers said the price of bananas, which was around ₹23,000 per tonne a month ago, has dropped sharply to about ₹6,000 per tonne, pushing growers into severe financial distress.
Anantapur:Banana farmers staged a protest in front of the Anantapur collectorate on Monday, expressing concern over a steep fall in prices and lack of buyers for their produce.
Farmers said the price of bananas, which was around ₹23,000 per tonne a month ago, has dropped sharply to about ₹6,000 per tonne, pushing growers into severe financial distress. They attributed the crash partly to export disruptions linked to conflicts in West Asia.
Members of farmers’ associations dumped heaps of banana bunches at the collectorate gate and raised slogans demanding government intervention. They said only about 40 per cent of the produce was sold when prices were higher, while nearly 60 per cent remains unsold in orchards as traders are not coming forward to purchase it.
The farmers demanded that the government ensure a minimum procurement price of at least ₹15,000 per tonne to help them recover cultivation costs. They also urged the government to procure bananas and distribute them through Midday Meal Scheme and Anganwadi Services, which they said would benefit both farmers and children.
