About Banana
India is the world's largest banana producer. Tissue-culture Cavendish plantations and cold chains have made it a fast-growing banana exporter.
Where Banana Is Grown in Kerala
The main banana districts of Kerala are Thrissur, Malappuram, Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala is India's leading producer of natural rubber and coconut, and the traditional home of the spice trade. It grows banana (including Nendran), cashew, arecanut, ginger, rice in Kuttanad and Palakkad, and has a long history of cashew processing in Kollam.
Season in Kerala
Year-round. Exact arrival dates in Kerala depend on local sowing and the monsoon, so check current arrivals before planning purchases.
How Banana Is Sold in Kerala
Kerala has no APMC Act. Produce is sold through private traders, cooperative societies and specialised boards for rubber, coconut and spices. Supplyco buys paddy from farmers.
Other major markets in Kerala
State Agencies in Kerala
Banana has no minimum support price, so it is bought almost entirely by private traders, processors and exporters. State marketing bodies regulate the markets and support farmer producer organisations.
- Supplyco (Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation)Paddy procurementAboutExplore
- Rubber BoardKottayamAboutExplore
- Coconut Development BoardKochiAboutExplore
- KERAFEDCoconut oil cooperativeAboutExplore
- Spices Board IndiaKochiAboutExplore
Quality and Price Notes
Grand Naine (Cavendish) dominates commercial and export plantations. Robusta and Dwarf Cavendish are also common; Poovan, Rasthali, Ney Poovan (elakki), Nendran, Red Banana and Monthan (cooking banana) serve regional markets, and Kerala's Nendran goes into chips.
Export bananas are graded by finger length and diameter (calibre), uniform green colour and freedom from blemish, latex staining and bruises. Hands are packed in 13 kg cartons. Domestic bananas are sold by bunch weight or by the dozen after ripening.
Banana prices rise in the festival months (Shravan, Navratri, Diwali) and fall in summer. Cyclones in Andhra and Tamil Nadu, Fusarium wilt and supply from Jalgaon decide regional prices. Export growth has lifted farm prices in Theni, Anantapur and Jalgaon.
Buyers, Processors and Exporters
These companies and bodies buy, process or export banana across India, including from Kerala. Tap a name for details.
- Desai Fruits & Vegetables Pvt LtdBanana farming and ripeningAboutExplore
- Jain Irrigation Systems LtdTissue-culture plants and dripAboutExplore
- INI Farms Pvt LtdExporter of bananas, pomegranates and grapes to about 35 countriesAboutExplore
- Freshtrop Fruits LtdAhmedabad · listed; grapes and pomegranate exporterAboutExplore
- KB Exports Pvt LtdMumbai · fresh fruit and vegetable exporter (KayBee)AboutExplore
- Sahyadri Farmers Producer Company LtdNashik · grapes, fruits and processingAboutExplore
- APEDAExport registration and residue control (GrapeNet, AnarNet, MangoNet)AboutExplore
Research and Advice in Kerala
New varieties, crop advice and seed for banana growers in Kerala come from the state agricultural universities below and from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each district.
Banana in Other States
Andhra Pradesh · Gujarat · Maharashtra · Tamil Nadu · Karnataka · Madhya Pradesh · Uttar Pradesh · Bihar · Mizoram
Related: Banana – all India · Kerala · All crops
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer