Lok Sabha Question No. 1516 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-29
Subject: Boosting Bananas Export
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Selvam G, Shri C N Annadurai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1516

ANSWERED ON 29.07.2025

## BOOSTING BANANAS EXPORT

1516: SHRI SELVAM G: SHRI C N ANNADURAI:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state :-

- (a) Whether  the Government  is providing assistance to State Governments, particularly Tamil Nadu, for promoting and boosting the export of bananas;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  schemes,  capacity  building  programmes, infrastructure support or export subsidies provided during the last three years;
- (c) the  quantity  of  bananas  exported  from  India  along  with  corresponding  foreign exchange earned during each of the last three years and the current year, yearwise;
- (d) the  key  challenges  faced  in  enhancing  the  export  of  bananas  from  India, particularly from Tamil Nadu;
- (e) whether Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has initiated any specific steps to promote banana exports from Tamil Nadu;
- (f) if so, the details thereof of cluster development, export-oriented training and buyerseller meets organized; and
- (g) whether  any  financial  assistance  or  incentives  are  being  provided  to  banana growers  and  exporters  to  support  banana  exports  from  Tamil  Nadu,  if  so,  the details thereof?

## ANSWER

वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a)  to  (g)The  Department of  Commerce through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) provides financial support to exporters from across the country, including from Tamil Nadu, for export promotion of it's Scheduled products,  including  bananas,  through  its  Financial  Assistance  Scheme  (FAS).  The

scheme  has  three  components  viz.,  Development  of  Export  Infrastructure,  Quality Development and Market Development The scheme guidelines are available at APEDA's website www.apeda.gov.in under the 'Scheme' tab.

The following specific steps have been taken for promotion of exports of Bananas from Tamil Nadu:

- i. Financial support of Rs. 94,21,637/- extended to a APEDA registered exporter, for setting  up  of  an  Integrated  Packhouse  in  Tamil  Nadu,  for  the  processing  of horticulture produce including bananas.
- ii. Assistance extended for  the  trial  shipment  of  Red  bananas  from  Tamil  Nadu  to Austria in the year 2022.
- iii. GI tagged Virupakshi & Sirumalai bananas were exhibited in Qatar by the Embassy of India, Doha, in 2023.
- iv. Promotion by display and sampling of Indian Bananas, including from Tamil Nadu, was carried out in key international trade fairs like SIAL Paris, World Food Moscow, Asia Fruit Logistica, Hong Kong. An electronic campaign for promotion and branding of Indian fruits including bananas is being organized in key international trade fairs, in collaboration with the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF).
- v. A  Buyer  Seller  Meet  and  promotional  event  to  explore  opportunities  for  Indian Bananas was organized in Moscow.
- vi. Ten packhouses have been recognized in Tamil Nadu under APEDA's pack house recognition scheme to ensure quality of produce for export of fruits including banana.
- vii. A National level workshop on GI & Traditional banana varieties, conducted in Trichy, in 2022, in association with National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Trichy.
- viii. During 2024-25,16 training and capacity building programs have been carried out in Tamil Nadu exclusively for bananas, wherein 2900 stakeholders participated.
- ix. Farmer  training  programs  on  Good  Agricultural  Practices  (GAP)  for  bananas conducted carried in Theni and Trichy clusters in 2024 & 2025 respectively.

The key issues and challenges faced in enhancing the export of bananas from India, particularly from Tamil Nadu, are smaller size of Indian Banana varieties in general, than the globally popular varieties which are larger sized, long transit time due to geographic distance  to  key  developed  markets  like  the  EU  &  Russia  which  makes  it  difficult  to maintain quality, adherence to quality requirements at small farms and stringent Phytosanitary requirements imposed by key markets like the EU.

These issues and challenges are being resolved through development of sea protocols for  Bananas, sensitization of  stakeholders to promote production of globally accepted cavendish  variety  of  Bananas,  training  and  capacity  building  of  farmers  in  quality requirements and adoption of Good Agricultural practices.

With respect to specific export subsidies for exporters on achieving trade milestones, all members of the World Trade Organization, including India are committed to not providing

any  export  subsidies  to  agricultural  commodities  after  December  2023,  including  for bananas. This includes any subsidies for marketing and transportation of goods.

As a result of these efforts and active collaboration amongst all stakeholders, there has been a significant growth in exports of Bananas, which have grown 128.54% in terms of volume and 115.64% in terms of value, during the period 2022-23 to 2024-25.

The export data of bananas from India, during the last three years is as under.

| India's Export of Bananas to the World                      | India's Export of Bananas to the World   | India's Export of Bananas to the World   | India's Export of Bananas to the World   | India's Export of Bananas to the World   | India's Export of Bananas to the World   | India's Export of Bananas to the World   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|                                                             | Value in USD Million                     | Value in USD Million                     | Value in USD Million                     | Qty in MT                                | Qty in MT                                | Qty in MT                                |
| Products                                                    | 2022- 23                                 | 2023-24                                  | 2024- 25                                 | 2022-23                                  | 2023-24                                  | 2024-25                                  |
| Bananas (including other bananas, Plantains, Fresh/chilled) | 175.68                                   | 292.19                                   | 378.83                                   | 363135.13                                | 598750.95                                | 829903.93                                |
| Source: DGCIS                                               | Source: DGCIS                            | Source: DGCIS                            | Source: DGCIS                            | Source: DGCIS                            | Source: DGCIS                            | Source: DGCIS                            |

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