Farmers from the Andamans undergo training at ICAR-NRCB

The ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR-NRCB) in Tiruchi and Department of Agriculture, Andaman and Nicobar Island, jointly organised a training programme on post-harvest management and value addition of banana for farmers from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the objective of promoting banana-based entrepreneurship in coastal agro-ecosystems.

Speaking at the inaugural session, R. Selvarajan, Director, ICAR-NRCB, better returns can be achieved in banana cultivation through post-harvest management and development of value-added products. This would foster holistic agro-based entrepreneurship.

The farmers were exposed to post-harvest management, preparation of banana-based value-added products such as banana fig, banana central core stem juice, banana stem, flower pickle, and fibre-based products during the training. Besides they were given an orientation on hi-tech banana cultivation practices, banana-based Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), and information on government schemes and institutional support for entrepreneurship.

They were taken on an exposure visit to the Thottiam Banana Producer Group (TBPG), a pioneering farmer producer organisation (FPO), and SVS Foundation in Namakkal District, an organization focusing on sustainability, women empowerment, and eco-friendly initiatives, according to a press release from ICAR-NRCB.