Lok Sabha elections 2024: All aboard the banana train

A consignment of bananas at Raver railway station; (right) Farmer Nitin Ganwani explains the complexities of growing plantains. Pics/Ashish Raje

In Jalgaon district, supplier of 70 per cent of Maharashtra's bananas, around 30 to 40 per cent of banana harvests are said to be lost post-harvest, with entire clusters of the fruit going to waste. In this depressing scenario, the railways have, after seven long years, restarted trains from Raver station that quickly transport the highly-perishable produce to the north of the country.

Microorganism, fungi, weather conditions and moisture collectively contribute to the rapid deterioration of banana crops, leading them to spoil quickly. In Raver, bananas epitomise the concept of perishability. Approximately 30 to 40 per cent of banana harvests are lost post-harvest, with entire clusters of bananas going to waste.

Farmers have demanded adequate facilities to make profits

Despite these challenges, the Raver Lok Sabha constituency, spanning six Assembly segments across two districts, remains the epicentre of India's banana production. Over 90 per cent of Jalgaon district's banana yield originates from this region in Khandesh."

According to available statistics, Jalgaon district contributes to 70 per cent of Maharashtra's production and 11 per cent of the country. Then what is going wrong?
"A lot of things! Once a banana yield is ready, it needs to be sold off or traded immediately. One cannot store it in the house or godown. It spoils quickly, and knowing this, one has to sell it off to traders at whatever rates are quoted. What is missing in Raver is the required infrastructure and amenities to support the yield as a whole. It needs a cold storage facility, the quickest ways to transport, and all other elements to complete its supply chain. This is exactly what is missing from Raver," explained farmer Ashokrao Choudhari.

Khandesh supplies 90 per cent of the banana yield in Jalgaon. Pics/Ashish Raje

"But who is bothered? There is a lot that the government and elected representatives could do, but nothing is being done seriously and sustainably. A farmer needs a good price for his harvest. But with a lack of supporting infrastructure, he ends up spending so much just to arrange for its sale that there is nothing left for him in hand," says Kishore Ganwani, the third-generation member of the Ganwani family, the oldest traders and farmers in the business of bananas in Raver.

"My grandfather, Parumal Lilaram Ganwans, first got into the business, and since then we have been in this industry. Raver has good climatic conditions for banana yield, however, there are a lot of issues due to missing infrastructure, and it all affects the banana growers here. Take, for example, the banana train that has been revived from Raver. The yield needs to be gathered and reach the station from the interiors for it to be ferried by the train. Once it reaches its destination, it needs to be dispersed to the markets. All this has costs. The last-mile connectivity leads to more expenses, making it unaffordable for an individual farmer and that is why we needed the subsidy, which was withdrawn," he explained.

"A subsidy had been given by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic to ferry the farm produce to encourage farmers to use the train. It was slowly reduced and is now completely withdrawn. We have been meeting the authorities to get the subsidy continued, but in vain," he explained.

His brother Harish, who moved to Raver to take care of the farms, said, "Banana plantations need to be carefully curated. It needs care and meticulous planning. The drip irrigation system has helped immensely. Banana has several by-products, and an entire industry can stand if there is enough support from the government. But the banana farmer has been left high and dry."

Raver Lok Sabha constituency BJP candidate and sitting MP Raksha Khadse said she has been working for farmers in the district. "I have also been working on a project submitted to the Horticulture department for cluster development for the fruit. It will help in banana export."

"Agreed, there is so much to do. Raver produces the maximum banana yield in the Jalgaon district, yet there is nothing to give impetus to the banana farmers here for their growth. We need to have allied businesses that can help the banana farmers," Shriram Patil, Raver NCP Lok Sabha candidate Shriram Dayaram Patil, said.