Banana festival to showcase rare varieties

To promote the diversity of indigenous bananas, their cultivation and associated food culture, Sahaja Samrudha, in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture, Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation Limited (KAPPEC), ICAR–JSS Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Suttur, and Abhay Naturals, is organising a Banana Festival on November 14 and 15 at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry in Mysuru.

The two-day Banana Festival will be inaugurated by Venkataramana Reddy J. Patil, managing director, Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation Limited (KAPPEC). Giridhar Parvatam, director of CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, will launch the Banana Bharat mobile application.

More than 150 banana varieties will be showcased at the festival. Visitors can purchase fresh bananas of several traditional varieties, including Nanjangud Rasabale, Nendran, Elakki Bale, Finger Banana, Kamalapur Red Banana, Karpuravalli, Poovan, Chandra Bale, Madarangi and Red Banana. Quality banana planting materials will also be available for those interested in cultivating bananas.

Daya Prasad from Sullia, who has conserved around 400 banana varieties, will bring some rare varieties from his collection for public display. Ram Prasad Hegde from Sirsi, a national award-winning plant conservationist, will also showcase rare banana varieties and planting materials. An eight-foot-long Sahasra Bale and a red banana variety whose entire plant appears as though it has been set on fire will be among the major attractions of the festival, according to press release.

A training programme on banana cultivation and opportunities for value addition will be held at 2:00 p.m on Saturday. At 10:30 am on Sunday, a children’s drawing competition and a banana-based cooking competition will be organised. Interested participants can take part. For more information, contact Ashok – 9632770473.