Pune: Banana Prices Rise To Rs 60 Per Dozen, Inflated Cost To Stay Till Navratri

Pune, 2nd September 2022: After the month of Shravan, the demand for bananas has increased due to Gauri-Ganpati. However, there is a shortage of bananas in the market due to reduced cultivation, damage caused by heavy rains in Kharif (Monsoon), and increased exports to the Gulf countries.

Owing to this, the price has increased, and the retail sales in Mumbai and Pune are continuing at Rs 50 to 60 per dozen. According to the business community, this boom will continue till Navratri.

Bananas in the state are majorly cultivated in Jalgaon, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts. Jalgaon has an average of 60 thousand hectares of cultivation. This year, during the planting of bananas, unseasonal rains hit. After that, there was heavy rain in July, affecting banana production. During the entire month of Shravan, the prices of bananas were hiking. Retail sales went up to Rs 50 a dozen during Shravan due to increased demand from North India.

In the wake of the Gauri-Ganpati festival, there has been an increase in the demand for bananas. There is no availability of bananas in the market. Due to this, the rate has increased. However, this boom has arisen because the demand is more than the supply. Ashok Kamble, a businessman from Mumbai’s Vashi Market, and Faroz Sache, a businessman from Pune, have informed that the stock is 70% to 80% compared to the demand in Mumbai-Pune. Traders have also expressed that this boom will continue till Navratri.

Banana exports from the state to Gulf countries have increased. It is mainly exported from Raver and Yaval talukas of Jalgaon district. Farmers are getting an average rate of Rs 2,000 per quintal for export bananas and Rs 1,000 per quintal for local sales. Therefore, farmers are giving preference to exports. Devendra Rane, an experimental farmer from Raver, has informed that as a result of good growth in exports, there has been some shortage of bananas in the local market.

There has been an increase in exports from Jalgaon. “The reason for the shortage of bananas in the market is not only an increase in exports but also bad weather and heavy rains that damaged the fruit. Due to this, the quantity of bananas for harvesting has decreased. The district has an average of 60 thousand hectares of banana cultivation area,” said Sambhaji Thakur, District Superintendent Agriculture Officer, Jalgaon.