First trial shipment of bananas exported to Netherlands: Comm ministry

The commerce ministry on Friday said the first trial shipment of bananas has been exported to the Netherlands.

For the trial shipment of bananas, Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has enlisted the support of ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow, for technical assistance while InI Farms has partnered with Del Monte for marketing and distribution in Europe, and Maersk for logistics, it said.

It added that banana exports to the Netherlands would lead to higher prices and increased income for farmers.

Despite being the world's largest banana producer, India's export share is currently just 1 per cent in the global market, though the country accounts for 26.45 per cent of the world's banana production at 35.36 million metric ton.

In 2022-23, India exported bananas worth USD 176 million.

"With the first trial shipment to the European market, it is estimated that India may be able to export bananas worth more than USD 1 billion in the next five years," it said.

The major export destinations for Indian bananas include Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and the Maldives.

It added that huge export opportunities are there in countries like the US, Russia, Japan, Germany, China, the Netherlands, the UK, and France.

It is estimated that exports will exceed USD 303 million in this fiscal.

Andhra Pradesh is the largest banana-producing state, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

These five states collectively contribute around 67 per cent to India's banana production in 2022-23.

Other states that produce bananas include Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Mizoram, and Tripura.