Guwahati: Bananas from Assam are being exported for the first time.

The malbhog variety of banana is being exported under the aegis of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), an apex organisation under the ministry of commerce and industry, to Dubai.

The total quantity of bananas which will be exported on Wednesday is 1.2 metric tonnes.

The export will take place on Wednesday from here with Spicejet agreeing to export the produce to Dubai. The consignment will reach Dubai on Thursday.

Out of the total export of fresh bananas from the country, UAE is the highest with around 30 per cent share in 2016-17. The total quantity exported was 24,277 metric tonnes valued at Rs 118 crore.

Sibanath Bhattacharya, proprietor of Kreamery Craft, which is exporting the bananas, said the fruit is being exported under the brand name of Spicefresh, which is a joint venture of Spicejet Merchandise Private Limited and Kreamery Craft. Spicejet Merchandise Private Limited is a subsidiary of SpiceJet.

The bananas are being sourced from Daranggiri in Goalpara which runs Northeast's biggest banana market.

The exporter is Kreamery Craft based in Calcutta.

"We are doing our best to provide a market to agricultural and horticultural produce from Assam and Northeast. Pineapples and mandarin have been exported from Northeast already," an APEDA official based in New Delhi told The Telegraph.

The total area of banana cultivation in Assam is 41,885 hectares, producing 5,81,884 metric tonnes. It is grown in 11 districts of the state.

"Of more than 15 varieties grown, the commercially important varieties are jahaji, malbhog, amrit sagar, kach kol and cheni champa. Commercial banana activity is common in and around Daranggiri. Jorhat district is known for abundance of the best quality jahaji, while Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup districts are referred as producers of the best quality malbhog," a horticulture department report said.