A banana plantation farm at Bihpur in Bhagalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Nov. 2: Banana cultivators of the district could reap a bumper crop next year. For, Nabard has initiated an umbrella programme of natural resource management based on improved agricultural practices and waste utilisation at Bihpur.

As part of the project, the Nabard regional office has released the first instalment of loans as well as grants to the tune of Rs 66 lakh for 100 farmers. Indian Rural Agency, a non-government organisation that co-ordinates between Nabard and the beneficiaries, said at a meeting on October 30 that the farmers have started banana cultivation after the release of funds.

The seeds have been imported from Bengal-based Vedic Synergy Biotech Ltd. The plantation is expected to bear fruit by August or September next year.

Nabin Roy, the district development manager, Nabard, Bhagalpur said: “The project aims to induct all farmers into clubs, federations and producers’ organisation soon. The capacity-building measures that have been initiated include promotion of vermicompost units, adoption of drip irrigation and development of village knowledge kiosks. Farmers would also be trained to extract banana fibre that would be used as raw material to make fabric, paper and handicraft.” Sources said more than 10,000 hectares are devoted to cultivation of mango, litchi and banana in the Naugachia sub-division of the district. Two rivers drain the subdivision: Ganga to the south and Kosi to the north. They meet at Kursela. The land between the two rivers is recharged every year through flooding and is very fertile. Farmers also cultivate maize and wheat in this region.

Roy said: “Traditionally, banana farmers use juvenile succours that grow as offshoots. This leads to less production. The quality of the fruit produced by this method is also not very good and does not fetch high prices.

“Also, the unscientific disposal of the pseudo stem of the banana plant after the harvest causes grave damage to the environment. Farmers leave the pseudo stem in the fields to decay. These emanate green house gases.”

But under the new system, these problems would be taken care of. Roy also said farmers had been exposed to cutting-edge farming technology. He said: “A group of farmers were earlier exposed to the advantages of banana cultivation using tissue planting through Nabard’s ‘Capacity building for adoption of technology’ sessions.”