Scorched fields, slumping prices leave banana farmers in Kannur struggling

Iritty: A brutal summer and a broken market have pushed Iritty’s banana farmers to the brink, turning what should have been a peak harvest season into a story of heavy losses.

Farmers who cultivated bananas targeting the Easter, Ramadan and Vishu seasons have been hit the hardest, caught between extreme weather and a sharp market downturn. Across the region, farmers planted anywhere between 100–200 to as many as 1,000–5,000 banana plants. However, the intense summer heat has left the crops completely withered.

Farmers say that despite repeated irrigation, they have been unable to salvage the banana bunches. As the plants stood dried and weakened, strong summer winds sweeping across the region inflicted further damage. Thousands of Nendran banana plants have already been flattened by unseasonal rains and accompanying gusty winds.

Adding to their distress is an unexpected crash in prices. This year, the average price stands at just ₹18 per kilogram, compared to ₹60–70 per kilogram during the same season last year. In a bid to clear stocks, traders had to offer bulk rates as low as ₹100 for 5 kilograms. Although prices saw a slight uptick during the Vishu season, traders say they are likely to fall back once the festive demand subsides.

The influx of banana bunches from neighbouring states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has further dampened demand for locally grown produce. Traders note that while local varieties usually enjoy steady demand regardless of such arrivals, this season has seen a marked decline.

One of the key reasons, they say, is the difficulty in ensuring uniform ripening. Even when the bunches do ripen, they tend to blacken quickly. In several cases, bananas show uneven ripening, with only the ends turning ripe while the rest remain green. Farmers point out that after harvesting and transporting the produce to markets, they are unable to recover even the basic transportation costs. In many plantations, quintals of banana bunches are left unharvested, falling to the ground and going to waste.

Counting the cost

A majority of banana farmers cultivate on leased land. For a single planting space measuring 10 feet by 10 feet, a lease amount, locally known as vaaram, of ₹10 must be paid. Each plantain sapling costs around ₹0, with slight variations depending on the variety. Including expenses such as fertilisers, labour and electricity for irrigation, the total investment per plant comes to roughly ₹250–300. Additional expenses, such as providing supporting props for banana trees, further raise the cost of cultivation.

At least 10 percent of the crop is typically lost due to damage or underdeveloped bunches. Even under favourable conditions, if an average yield of 10 kilograms per plant is obtained and sold at ₹30 per kilogram, farmers only just manage to break even. 

This year, however, adverse weather conditions have drastically reduced yields, with farmers estimating that even 5 kilograms per plant may not be realised. Nearly half the plants have been damaged or snapped. Even if prices rise to ₹20 per kilogram, the return would be only about ₹100 per plant, translating into a loss of around ₹200 per plant.

For farmers cultivating thousands of plants, the losses are staggering. Many had taken bank loans or borrowed money to invest in the crop, pushing them deeper into financial distress.