Based on a pilot survey in Eastern India, Banana was identified as a commercial crop that has a huge potential for cultivation and high demand in local markets. In spite of a huge potentiality for cultivation and demand in local markets, farmers of East India are yet to adopt Banana as a commercial crop, rather it has been cultivated as a kitchen garden crop. Kolkata market could, therefore, supply only 50% of its daily demand. As a result, as of now all Eastern market is supplied with quality banana from South and Western Markets. BASIX Krishi planned to diversify smallholder farmers to banana cultivation so that farmers with their limited land and water can get much better returns per land available. As a first step, the company made tie-ups with companies like KF Bio-tech, Cadila and Technico to introduce banana as an alternate remunerative crops among farmers of the Farmers’ Producer Organizations (FPOs) promoted by the company itself. The pilot was a success with banana contributing about 10% to total product value sales. This pilot gave the company good learning and ways to look forward during the next FYs. Next year, the company introduced banana from Jain irrigation (the pioneer in G9-TC banana in India) and also started a secondary hardening (SH) unit of 1 lakh plants in Gaya with PH plants from Technico (ITC). The experience both with Jain and SH was heartening. Banana being a new crop to introduce as commercial crop, the company focused on training, Package of Practices (POP) and Agri kit for the farmers taking more than 120-150 plants (atleast in 10 decimals). BASIX Krishi also developed tie-ups with Kevender Agro (a company being the largest exporter of G-9 Banana in India) for Pick and Serve. Through its secondary hardening (SH) unit and through tie-up with other popular companies, BASIX Krishi is supplying tissue cultured banana sapling of G9 variety. The company is slowly spreading the practice of banana cultivation across the Eastern India through the channels of Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), Bihar Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (BRLPS/ JEEViKA), BASIX’s promoted FPOs and some cooperative societies of WB. Currently these farmers are earning Rs, 30, 000/- per 10 decimal/ year by cultivating it in commercial way. Tissue Culture Tissue culture is the modern technology that is applied for mass production of superior grade planting material. The tissue culture plants have following advantages: • High yielding progenies of true-to type. • Disease free at the time of planting and the same conditions can be maintained by proper crop management. • Tissue culture vigor in the plantlets manifests better growth and performance in the field. • Availability of tissue culture plantlets are not constrained by seasonal variation • Uniform maturity for the harvest of the fruits • Ratoon crop is a unique feature of Tissue culture plants • Market oriented planting of Tissue culture Banana plants gives better price. Saving of 3 – 4 months of cultivation period in the field thus, able to give three crops in duration of 30 months. Grand Nain (G-9) variety of Banana • It is a high yielding Cavendish variety introduced to India from Israel • The Plant grows to a height of 6.5 to 7.5 Feet • The bunches can be harvested within eleven to twelve months from the date of planting the tissue culture plants • High yield with each bunch with 175 to 225 number of fruits weight of average 30 Kg. • The fruits of Grand Nain Banana variety are delicious to eat and keeping quality of the fruit is high compared to our native varieties. • Long cylindrical fruits with less curvature • Good keeping quality. • Attractive yellowish green color at maturity • Internationally acceptable both as fresh fruit and in processed form (pulp to peel ratio is more and highly suitable for processing)
Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal 
