Even though the price of bananas in the market has exceeded 200 rupees per dozen, farmers have complained that they are still having to sell them for 50 rupees.
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Currently, the price of bananas in the market has reached 150 to 200 per dozen. Despite the increase in the price of bananas in the market, farmers have complained that they are not getting the right price.
Commercial banana farming has been going on in the southern part of West Nawalparasi. Sometimes faced with disease outbreaks, sometimes bananas not being sold and rotting in the garden, farmers were now hoping to get a good price. Even now, big businessmen are buying them for only 35 to 50 rupees per dozen.
Santosh Kohiri of Pratappur has cultivated bananas on about 2 bighas. His main source of income is banana farming. He had taken loans to cultivate and was hoping to get a fair price after the import of bananas from India was stopped. But he is surprised by the current selling price in the market and the price he has received.
The trader who came to the market to buy bananas that cost 150 to 200 rupees said that he had barely given him a price of only 50 rupees per dozen. 'The price of bananas in the market is four times higher than what we sell.' However, the farmers are only getting the price they get up front,' said Kohiri, 'The middlemen are reluctant to give a fair price to the farmers who get more than three times the profit.'
Banana production zones have been designated in Pratappur and Susta in the district. However, the state has not been able to address the suffering of farmers in the zones, said Lakhkhu Yadav, president of the Nawalparasi Banana Producers Association. 'When the price increases in the market, the price of the goods produced by the farmers should also increase.' However, the middlemen made a profit by giving the farmers the same price as the previous year,' Yadav said, 'We should pay attention to making the agricultural sector free from middlemen.' Banana cultivation is being done on about 2,000 bighas in the district.' Yadav said that even though the farmers in this area, who have been cultivating sugarcane, have switched to banana cultivation, they are disappointed because they are not getting a fair price because the sugar industry has not paid them on time.'
