TURA: Tura MP Conrad K Sangma has led a farmers’ delegation to meet the union minister for food processing industries in New Delhi to seek the establishment of a food processing centre at Kharkutta in North Garo Hills district, where the much sought after banana is produced in abundance.
On Thursday, the farmers’ delegation headed by Rupert Momin was taken by the Tura Lok Sabha MP to a meeting with the union Food Processing Industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal where they apprised the minister about the mass cultivation of organic bananas in the Kharkutta region and the need to set up a processing centre to ensure regular supply of the commodity.
Banana, which is the fifth most traded agricultural commodity in the world also happens to be the second most important fruit crop in India, next only to the mango.
Kharkutta region has been known for ages for its supply of the fruit that is available all year round and is made famous by the fact that farmers do not use any chemicals while growing the crop.
The fruits from Kharkutta region make way to various states in the country, particularly to West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
However, banana farmers have for long been experiencing unstable market pricing and the absence of a supply chain has compelled farmers to go across the inter-state border into Darranggre market of Dudhnoi in Assam where their produce is lifted by middlemen at a throwaway price.
“A processing centre would lead to competitive pricing with other banana growers in other parts of the country and benefit the farmers of Garo Hills,” said Tura MP Conrad Sangma.
He added that the Union minister had given a positive response to their demand adding that ground work would need to be cleared for the establishment of the food processing factory in Kharkutta.
