UP farmers see profit in growing banana

Farmers of Uttar Pradesh, a state that mainly produces crops like sugarcane, wheat, rice and potatoes, have taken up banana cultivation.
The main banana producing states in India are Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka.
Besides, there are Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Orissa that grow banana.
According to banana growers, the fruits earns them profits, improves their economic conditions and if the things go like this then no farmer would imagine of committing suicidedue to losses in traditional cultivation.
Jagat Singh, a farmer of Loharra Village in Rampur, claimed that due to adverse weather and government's apathy, wheat andpaddy give poor dividends as the costs of production were more then selling prices.

The same was the case with mentha and sugarcane as farmers does not yield better cost due to delayed payments, he added.

Singh claimed he has been growing banana since last two years in three acres of land and has earned up to Rs 4.50 lakhs from one acre produce.
Appreciating the move by the farmers, District Gardens Superintendent Ram Naresh said there are no provisions to assist the farmers for banana cultivation.
In Swar Tehsil's, Newla and Pasiapura villages have opted the banana cultivation. The practice is repeated thrice as the plants after reaping of the fruits remain fertile and that way give up to 350 quintals of the fruit, the farmer said.