Development of Banana based Entrepreneurship for Andamam Nicobar Costal Agro Eco System

31 January 2026, Tamil Nadu

ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, organized a six-day training programme on “Post-Harvest Management and Value Addition of Banana” for farmers from different islands of the Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) during the last week of January 2026. The main objective of the programme was to promote the development of banana-based entrepreneurship in the A&N Islands.

During the inaugural session of the training programme, Dr. R. Selvarajan, Director, ICAR–NRCB, emphasized the importance and uniqueness of the coastal agro-ecosystem, which demands supplementary per capita income in addition to subsistence agriculture or fisheries. In this context, the production of value-added products from different commodities plays a vital role. He further underlined that banana cultivation alone cannot serve as a sustainable livelihood option for farmers; incorporating post-harvest management and value-added product development would not only enhance per capita income but also promote holistic entrepreneurship within the agro-ecosystem.

The six-day hands-on training programme covered various aspects, including post-harvest management, value-added products, hi-tech banana cultivation practices, banana-based Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), and government schemes and support for entrepreneurship.

During the programme, all participants were exposed to the production of seven banana-based value-added products, such as banana fig, stem juice, stem pickle, etc. In the farmers’ perspective session, a progressive farmer and CEO of Agathiar FPO from Tamil Nadu shared his experiences on Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), natural farming, organic farming, and the challenges involved in marketing banana value-added products.

The participants also visited the ICAR–NRCB farm to observe the effectiveness of different technologies under field conditions. As part of the off-campus training, they were taken on an exposure visit to the Thottiam Banana Producer Group (TBPG), a pioneering Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), and SVS Foundation in Namakkal District, an organization focusing on sustainability, women empowerment, and eco-friendly initiatives.

The training programme concluded with a valedictory session on 31 January 2026. During the session, feedback from the farmers was encouraged, and it was expressed that the programme would significantly enhance banana-based entrepreneurship development in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

(Source: ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu)