COIMBATORE: Farmers have urged Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) to factor in farmgate prices while issuing price forecasts for poovan, nendran and karpooravalli bananas, saying the initiative will benefit growers only if it reflects the prices they actually receive rather than market rates alone.Domestic Export and Market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has forecast average farmgate prices of Rs 23-25 per kg for poovan, Rs 25-28 for karpooravalli and Rs 33-35 for nendran during October-November 2026, provided weather conditions remain favourable. DEMIC made the forecast after analysing 20 years of price data and surveyed local markets and traders in Coimbatore.Farmers have raised objections to the forecast, stating that it is based only on market prices. Dr G Ranganathan, state organising secretary of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam, said forecasts should link farmgate and market prices, urging the govt to provide dedicated financial support to improve the system’s usefulness. Farmers say banana arrivals have halved due to water shortage, keeping prices high or firm through Pongal.Banana is one of India’s most important horticultural crops, contributing to food security and providing income to farming households. During 2024-25, banana was cultivated across 9.02 lakh hectares in the country, producing 383 lakh tonne at a productivity of 49,486 kg per hectare. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are the major producing states.Tamil Nadu ranked third in production. In the state, banana was cultivated on 1.14 lakh hectares during 2024-25, producing 45 lakh tonne at a productivity of 39,691 kg per hectare. Erode, Theni, Tuticorin, Coimbatore and Trichy are among the major banana-producing districts. Varieties like poovan, karpooravalli, nendran, monthan, rasthali, elakki, nadan, red banana and grand naine are grown in the state.
