Integrated banana growers' federation inaugurated

Integrated Banana Growers' Federation was inaugurated yesterday at Chithodu, near Erode, for the benefit of banana growers of the district. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Horticulture College and Research Institute Dean Dr. Irin Vedamani inaugurated the federation and  delivered a special address on banana cultivation.

Many resource persons from TNAU, Department of Horticulture, Agriculture and Krishi Vigyan Kendra spoke. The federation president C Shanmugasundaram presided. The resource persons said that banana is cultivated in about twenty thousand hectares in the district every year. During banana cultivation, farmers use excessive chemical inputs affecting soil fertility. 

The Federation will help farmers to get new technologies, create awareness among the farmers about the newly introduced tissue cultured banana seedlings, market banana to get more profit, improve the yield, and produce various value added products from banana.  The federation will also try to explore export opportunities, get various welfare schemes for the farmers through the Farmer Producer Companies,  Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and the Central and State governments.