Banana

Context: A science writer writes in BBC that the banana tree is equated to Lord Brihaspati (Jupiter) for fertility and bounty. Thus, bananas are considered sacred.

About Banana:

• Agro-climatic requirements:
  • Banana, basically a tropical crop, grows well in a temperature range of 15ºC – 35ºC with relative humidity of 75-85%.
  • Deep, rich loamy soil with pH between 6.5 – 7.5 is most preferred for banana cultivation.
  • Saline solid, calcareous soils are not suitable for banana cultivation.
  • There are some 12-15 varieties of bananas in India.
• Largely in the peninsular southern coastal region, namely in parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Bengal, and in the Northeastern areas of the country such as Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The central and northern regions – Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab also grow the plant but neither in such variety nor in numbers.
• India produces about 29 million tonne of banana every year, and next is China with 11 million.
• Nutritive value
  • Bananas have 10-20 mg of calcium, 36 mg of sodium, 34 mg of magnesium and 30-50 mg of phosphorous per 100 g of edible material.
  • All these make bananas highly nutritious.
• Its peel is of use as a ‘biochar,’ which is used both as a fertilizer and to generate electricity.
  • Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes (also called biomass) in a controlled process called pyrolysis.
  • Pyrolysis is the heating of an organic material, such as biomass, in the absence of oxygen.

Banana production in India state wise:

 Banana production in the world:

• Asian banana production accounts for about 54% of the entire production.
• India and China have been the world’s biggest banana producers accounting for over 40% of the world’s total banana production.
• Most bananas produced in India and China are consumed domestically, whereas the Philippines supplies bananas to the international markets.
• Ecuador is the world’s largest banana exporter.

Banana season in India:

• Banana season in India prevails throughout the year.
• On the other hand, banana arrivals begin to increase in April and peak between August and October.
• Bananas, primarily tropical crops, thrive in temperatures ranging from 15 to 35 degrees Celsius and relative humidity levels of 75% to 85%.
• The planted crop is ready for harvest 12-15 months after planting, and the primary harvesting season of bananas is from September to April.

Banana season throughout the year: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Assam and Tripura.

September-November season: Gujarat, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Source: The Hindu

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) With reference to the “Tea Board” in India, consider the following statements:

1. The Tea Board is a statutory body.
2. It is a regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The Tea Board’s Head Office is situated in Bengaluru.
4. The Board has overseas offices at Dubai and Moscow.

Which of the statements given above are correct?  (2022)

1. 1 and 3
2. 2 and 4
3. 3 and 4
4. 1 and 4