Traders distraught as banana prices crash in Karnataka

The humble banana suddenly seems to have lost its fans in the last two years, with prices touching record lows of Rs 8 to Rs 12 amid glut in the market.

Consumed year-round and extremely affordable, the quality of bananas has also taken a hit due to the unseasonal rain that lashed the state last year, causing havoc in vegetable and fruit prices.

Banana merchants told DH that except for Bengaluru, almost all other districts in the state produce the fruit.

At least 600-650 tonnes of bananas come to the city every day from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kollegala, Gauribidanur and other places in the old Mysore region. Some varieties also come from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

At the bustling Binny Mill Banana Market, about 250 tonnes of the fruit arrives daily, with customers mainly comprising retail fruit sellers and pushcart vendors.

K G Purushotham, president of Banana Fruits Merchants Association, said the 'Yelakki' variety, also known as 'Lady Finger' banana, is most sought-after. However, the price of this variety has not crossed Rs 30 in months, traders lamented, except for a brief period during the Varamahalakshmi festival.

Normally, the price of 'Yelakki' banana in the wholesale market remains in the Rs 45-50 range and climbs higher during festivals, which has not been the case this year. Even the 'Robusta' bananas are being sold at Rs 8 to Rs 12 in comparison to its usual price of Rs 20.

Only the Chandra variety (reddish purple skin) and the long Nendra bananas (mostly used to make chips) are somehow getting decent prices of Rs 30-35 and Rs 40 per kg, respectively.

Merchants said they have not seen this kind of decline in prices before.

“I have been in the business since 1976. This kind of fall in prices was never seen before, at least not in the last 10 years," said Purushotham.

Many traders at the Binny Mill market and the KR Market attribute this fall to the drop in customer numbers.

"In the last two years, we hardly have had any customers. There were 50 banana traders in this market. But now there are only 30. If this trend continues, banana traders are staring at a serious crisis," said Senthil Kumar, a trader at KR Market.

The Horticulture Department acknowledged the price crash but officials said this was only seasonal.

"There is a glut in supply as produce is coming even from neighbouring states where prices have also fallen," said K Dundi, Additional Director (Fruits), Horticulture Department.

"As there are no festivals or functions during this season, the consumption has reduced. On top of that, people are also scared that eating bananas can give them a cold (which is a cause of concern due to Covid-19)."

Dr B N Srinivasa Murthy, Director, Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR), Hesaraghatta, had a similar explanation.

"While demand shoots up during summer and post-monsoon, it drops considerably during winter due to intense cold conditions. Moreover, there are hardly any religious events or festivities in winter," he said.

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