Jalgaon News : Jalgaon farmers export GI-certified Bananas worth Rs 600 crores to Dubai

Jalgaon : Bananas from Jalgaon district of Maharashtra have got GI rating. The same GI-certified 22 metric tonnes of bananas have been exported to Dubai. Importantly, these bananas are from the same farmer’s field in Talwadi village in Jalgaon district. India is one of the world’s leading banana producers. India produces 25% of the world’s bananas. Large quantities of bananas are exported worldwide every year. Although the Corona has caused a recession everywhere, India has benefited greatly from banana exports. In Dubai alone, bananas worth over Rs 600 crore have been exported. However, a special variety of banana is more famous in Dubai.

What is a GI tag?
GI tag means Geographical Indication. The GI tag is the geographical identity of a product. Jalgaon banana, Darjeeling tea, Chanderi saree, Solapuri chaddar, Mysore silk, Bhagalpuri silk, Bikaneri Bhujia have been given GI tag so far. This tag identifies the product name and location.

The specialty of bananas
Bananas are grown all over the world. However, bananas grown in Jalgaon district have got GI rating. These are high in fiber and minerals. That is why GI registration of these bananas has been done in 2016. In the last few years, India has made great evalution in the field of agriculture. The number of agricultural products exported from India has also increased. Banana exports have also increased significantly.

During the year 2018-19, the export of bananas was 1.34 lakh tonnes or Rs 413 crore, while in the year 2019-20, the export increased to 1.95 lakh tonnes. They are valued at Rs 660 crore. Even during the Corona crisis in 2020-21, India exported 1.91 lakh tonnes of bananas worth Rs 619 crore from April 2020 to February 2021. In India, bananas are also grown in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. India accounts for 25 per cent of the world’s banana production.