NRCB guides banana growers to make value-added products

TIRUCHY: National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchy has come forward to help the farmers in providing training on value-added products as well as the rural women. The centre has also been creating awareness among the people that the banana pseudostems are not just wastes but they offer real opportunities for new businesses and augment their income.

The NRCB has already introduced high-yielding and value-added banana varieties such as Kaveri Vaman, Kaveri Kanchan, and Kaveri Kalki, which would create an export opportunity and entrepreneurial prospects in the Delta districts.

“Our scientists have been educating farmers and rural youths about the value-added products and post harvest management for domestic and export markets, and provide hands-on training on machinery used for the extraction of banana fibre and processing,” said R Selvarajan, Director, NRCB, Tiruchy.

He also said that the farmers and youth were given training on scientific extraction of fibre from banana pseudostem, operation and maintenance of fibre extraction machines, grading, processing methods, and development of diversified value-added products.

Apart from this, several other value-added products of the banana are given. For instance, the rural women are provided with the opportunity to make banana fig, banana flower thokku, banana stem pickle, low-calorie banana stem juice, fibre extraction and softening, and the production of fibre-based handicrafts, which have hit the markets already.

“A frequent exhibition to promote the banana value-added products is also being done to ensure the farmers get an additional income,” Selvarajan said.

Some of the value-added products of bananas are juice, flour, chips, fig, fruit bar, biscuits, jelly, jam, wine, health drink, baby food, stem juice, flower thokku, stem pickle, etc.