Farmers upbeat about bumper harvest of nendran bananas

Farmers, who have raised nendran banana in Tiruchi district, are hoping for a good harvest this year thanks to the perfect season.

Nendran banana constitutes about one-third of banana cultivation in the Tiruchi district. It is one of the staple food items, mainly in Kerala. Since it fetches good prices, particularly at markets in different parts of Kerala, the farmers in Tiruchi district prefer to raise the crop. The farmers, who own lands along the banks of the Cauvery and the Kollidam, raise nendran bananas. Availability of groundwater and the assured irrigation sources are cited as the main reason for farmers to raise nendran bananas though the land is highly suitable for paddy cultivation.

According to sources, about 7,000 hectares were brought under the banana cultivation during 2025-26. Of this, the nendran crop is raised on about 2,500 hectares. Most of the landholdings in Andhanallur, Kuzhumani, Pettavaithalai, Manikandam, Mutharasanallur, Jeeyapuram, Adhavathur, Kuzhumani, Kodiyalam, Ettarai, Koppu, Thiruvalarcholai, Thiruvanaikovil, Kavutharasanallur, Kilikoodu, and Panayapuram have been brought under nendran cultivation.

The farmers, who had completed the plantation of nendran saplings in January and February, are getting ready to start the harvest. They hope that they will have a bumper harvest as they did not encounter major disturbances during the north-east monsoon. Moreover, no one had complained of shortage of water for irrigation. “Though a long spell of recent rain forced us to keep our fingers crossed for a while, it did not cause much damage to the standing crop. The banana bunches look healthy. We will start the harvest shortly,” says S.M. Manohar of Vayalur.

Stating that some farmers, who had brought their landholdings in January last year, had started harvest, he said it would gain momentum from February.