Bananas worth Rs 50 million imported to Janakpurdham for Chhath

Bananas worth Rs 50 million have been imported to Janakpurdham, the capital of Madesh, from India for the near-coming Chhath festival.

Banana is considered a must fruit for the people observing the festival, especially for those fasting on the occasion.

President of Janakpur Fruits and Vegetables Traders Committee, Bishweshwar Yadav said since bananas are offered to God as an argha during the Chhath festival, the demand for the fruit is high. Since, the local produce is not enough there is a compulsion to import from neighboring India.

He shared that last year bananas worth more than Rs 40 million had been imported, which increased to Rs 50 million this year.

Various varieties of bananas are imported to Janakpurdham from Assam, West Bengal, Hajipur, Thakurganj and Champaran, said Bhuvneshwar Purve, Secretary of Fruit and Vegetable Traders Committee. The price of bananas has increased by 20 percent this year compared to the previous year. Bananas are being sold at a price ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1, 000 per spike.

Traders say that even though there is a lot of potential for banana production in Nepal the local production does not meet the demand. In addition, the price of bananas coming from India is cheaper than bananas produced in the country so in the border areas they are imported from India.