BANANA

India has around 200 banana varieties 

Banana is big business. "India has around 200 banana varieties and there is no risk of this fruit dying as predicted by some foreign researchers," says Dr N Barathi, CEO, Growmore Bio-Tech.

The Rs 1-crore turnover Growmore Bio-Tech tissue-cultures around 14 banana varieties. "Now we are looking at tissue-culturing the mountain plantain [an exotic banana variety]. Nearly half of our turnover comes from exports," he adds.

. The AQIS certification enables Growmore Bio-Tech to export plants to Australia without major hurdles. The company also exports tissue-cultured ornamental plants to Japan, Australia, Germany, Holland and the US.

Banana is one of the most important major fruit crops grown in India. In respect of area and production, it ranks second only to mango in this country. The banana culture in India is as old as Indian civilization.


It seems that it is one of the earliest fruit crops grown by mankind at the dawn of civilization. In India, bananas are so predominant and popular among people that poor and rich alike like the fruit.

• Considering the nutritive value and fruit value of bananas, it is the cheapest among all other fruits in the country. Considering the year round availability of fruits, unlike the seasonal availability of other tree fruits, it has become an inevitable necessity in any household in India, for all functions.
• The bananas were grown in Southern Asia even before the prehistoric periods and the world's largest diversity in banana population is found in this area. Hence, it is generally agreed that all the edible bananas and plantains are indigenous to the warm, moist regions of tropical Asia comprising the regions of India, Burma, Thailand and Indo China. 
• http://www.ikisan.com/links/ap_bananaHistory.shtml

Uses Of Banana

• Bananas are put into varied uses in India, especially in South India. Almost every part of the plant is used someway or other.
• In South India, though hundreds of banana varieties are existing, only eight to ten have attained the status of commercial importance.
• The fruits are used for desert purposes as well as culinary purposes. The varieties like Poovan, Rasthali, Robustra, Dwarf Cavendish are grown for table purpose.
• The plantains and Monthan group yield fruits which are high in starch content and hence they are used as staple food in some of the African countries.
• In India, Nendran is grown mainly for table purposes and for making 'Chips'. The Monthan fruits, both immature and mature ones, are used for culinary purposes as it mixes well with other vegetables in delicious 'curry' preparations of South Indian house holds.
• In South India, no festive decoration are said to be complete unless the entrance gates are decorated with full grown banana plants with attractive bunches.
• In all auspicious occasions in the life of a South Indian, banana has got important place either as a table fruit or as an offering to God in temples.
• The banana male buds are harvested soon after the female phase is over and are sold as a vegetable in the markets.
• Similarly, the tender stem, which bears the peduncle, is extracted by removing the leaf sheaths of harvested pseudostem is sold as vegetable.
• The corm of developing suckers, rich in carbohydrates, is also cooked and eaten in the form of different curry preparations mixed with pulses by the poor class people.
• The lamina of the banana leaves are still widely used as a substitute for dinner plates and is a regular income for the growth.
• The dried leaves are used for cup and hat makings by small scale industries.
• The pseudostem is used for paper manufacture.
• The dried leaf sheaths give an excellent fibre and are used in garland making as well as for extracting fibre for cloth making.
• The banana pseudostem ash is said to be a sure remedy for snake poison as tribals practice it. 
• http://ananya11.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/09/banana-is-big-business-india-has-around-200-banana.htm