TURA: Banana farmers from Garo Hills can now directly market their produce outside and get optimum price value for their produce as they will no longer have to deal with middlemen who try to exploit them and buy them at a cheaper price.
In order to cater to their own needs, banana growers from North Garo Hills with the help of Kharkutta MLA Rupert Momin on Wednesday formed an association called the Gairong Area Banana Growers Association (GABGA). To mark the occasion, a first trial marketing of banana was also flagged off at Seven Mile, Dainadubi, on the same day.
Momin said the formation of GABGA has enabled banana growers to sell off their first consignment directly to Gaya Market in Bihar.
“Earlier, bananas from Garo Hills had to be transported to Daranggiri Market (Assam), which posed a setback for banana growers since they were not able to fetch good prices due to shortage of market linkage and exploitation by middlemen. Through this association lives of many banana growers will be transformed,” hoped Momin.
The Basin Development Unit has been working tirelessly under the guidance of its Chairman and Deputy Commissioner S C Sadhu for the development of farmers under Meghalaya livelihood Access to Market Project (MegLAMP). Issues faced by farmers like market linkage and exploitation of price by outsiders were resolved with the intervention of the unit and enabled farmers to opt for direct marketing.
Following a survey conducted recently, it is expected that the average banana grower who gets monthly income of Rs 5,000-7,000 will now get Rs 14,000-18,000 through the association. Around one thousand farmers will be benefitted, according to an official.
“During the Second phase of Basin’s action plan, tissue culture of banana saplings of G9 variety was introduced to the farmers. The main benefit of tissue culture is its resistance to pest attack and yielding higher income. Through this initiative farmers income is likely to increase by 150 per cent. Plantation of banana G9 variety has begun at five villages and is targeted to cover fifty more villages in times to come,” an official informed.