India has witnessed a tenfold rise in exports of bananas in the past decade and is now targeting $1 billion in banana exports in the next five years after successful trial shipments to the Netherlands via the sea route, according to the Centre’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

With the sea route opening up, Russia is expected to emerge as a major market for Indian banana exports.

India is currently reliant on the air route which is a high-cost mode of transport and limits the quantity of the fruit that can be exported.

In the fiscal year 2023-24, India exported bananas worth US$ 300 million, a significant increase from US$ 176 million in 2022-23. The country’s share in global banana exports has risen from just 0.21 per cent in 2013 to 1.74 per cent in 2023, highlighting its growing presence in the international market, according to figures compiled by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

To enhance export volumes, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is developing sea protocols for fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, and jackfruit. These protocols aim to facilitate ocean transport, making it more feasible for Indian farmers to reach international markets.

The Indian government is actively supporting banana cultivation and export through various initiatives, including financial assistance for farmers, infrastructure improvements, and enhanced market access. As domestic farmers adopt modern agricultural practices, they are producing higher quantities of better-quality bananas, positioning India as a key player in the global banana industry.

Meanwhile, among states, Uttar Pradesh has also emerged as a banana exporter. The state government has been proactive in promoting banana cultivation and has declared it as the One District One Product (ODOP) for Kushinagar.

This spells substantial benefits for banana growers in the state as they are being provided subsidies as incentives to cultivate high-quality bananas that meet market demands.

In Uttar Pradesh's Purvanchal and Awadh regions, districts like Kushinagar, Deoria, Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Amethi, and Barabanki are extensively engaged in banana farming, the state government said.

Over the past decade and a half, the acreage under banana cultivation has increased. Additionally, adopting superior varieties and advanced farming techniques have improved the quality and yield of the crop, the statement added.