Banana farmers ‘feel the heat’ as corms run short

Banana farmers are beginning to feel the pinch of drought from an unexpected quarter - corms, the part from which the plant grows, which are in short supply. Many farmers in the district have expressed apprehensions that their crop will be affected this year because of an acute shortage of banana corms due to water shortage across the state.

Banana growers in Trichy district have been sourcing corms from Thoothukudi and Metupalayam. However, the producers of corms have expressed their inability to supply the required numbers to the farmers due to acute water shortage. Worried farmers have now appealed to the agriculture department to make arrangements to secure the required number of corms at a nominal rate.
Banana growers completely change the corms once in three years for improving the yield. Some farmers exclusively produce the corm and sell them in market in bulk numbers. However, this year the arrival from these two places has been drastically reduced, said banana farmers in Trichy. "We need about 1,000 corms per acre. Farmers from Trichy and surrounding areas use to go either to Mettupalayam or Thoothukudi to purchase them according to their requirement. Sometimes we also order over phone. Since there is a shortage of corms in these areas, the only alternative source is Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. However, it would be a costly affair to go there and buy them", said N Veerasekaran, state spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Sangam.

According to agriculture department, farmers from Musiri, Thottiam, parts of Manachanallur, Manikandam and Anthanallur unions and a major part of Lalgudi grow banana under one lakh acres. Due to water shortage, the coverage had been shrinking to 30,000 acres. This year farmers say they are planning to cultivate banana on a minimum area with the available ground water in the district. Monthan, Poovan, Rasthali are the main varieties cultivated in the district. Without the requisite number of seeds, it would be difficult for them to cultivate on their entire farm land.

When contacted over phone, D Goodling, 50, a banana grower from Thethikuttai in Mettupalayam, said that due to monsoon failure most of them had not cultivated banana this year. "Usually we get 3000 corm from one acre of banana farm. But the area of banana cultivated in Mettupalayam was very less as there is no water in our borewells. So, we could not supply to our regular buyers across Trichy district", Goodling further said. Another farmer from Sivathaiyapuram in Thoothukudi V Ponraj, who usually sells corms, also echoed Goodling's claims. Farmers have appealed to the concerned department officials to make arrangements for getting the required corms at an affordable price