Farmers attracted towards banana cultivation

By Our Correspondent,Gaur, Mar. 17: Farmers of Rautahat are attracted towards banana cultivation which is more profitable with less investment.

Farmers were attracted towards banana cultivation after providing various services, including technical support, grant, distribution of banana plants to the farmers under the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project targeting to increase income by cultivating bananas.

Deepak Kumar Mishra, Chief of Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project Implementation Unit, Rautahat, said that under the banana super zone, banana is being cultivated at around 321 hectares in 32 wards of Gadhimai, Katharia, Chandrapur, Gaur, Fatuwa Bijayapur, Paroha, Rajpur, Ishanath, and Moulapur municipalities of the district.

Mishra said that farmers have been provided facilities such as advanced technology, banana trees, 50 per cent subsidy, soil testing, small irrigation, technical facilities and disease prevention system for banana cultivation.

He also said that the farmers are producing various varieties of bananas, including Malbhog, Badhari, Ghuser, Hybrid and Bhujari and they are earning from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 60,000 per kattha annually.

Anirudhra Yadav of Gadhimai Municipality, who has been cultivating bananas commercially, said that the farmers started cultivating bananas commercially after receiving service facilities from the Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project.

He has stopped planting other crops now after making better income from bananas than other crops.

He said, "I have a land of one and a half bighas. Out of this, I have planted banana plants in one bigha. Banana is a cash crop and it does not cost much. I have started this cultivation due to earning good income," he said.