‘Development boards need of the hour’

- AP Chamber of Commerce and Industry Federation writes to chief secretary requesting development boards for mango and
banana, on war-footing
- Says farmers not getting remunerative prices for their produce
- Opine that dedicated development boards for mango and banana would ensure overall development of the crops

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Federation on Monday made a request to chief secretary S P Tucker for
setting up a Mango Development Board and Banana Development Board in the State. In a letter to the chief secretary, Federation
president Muthavarapu Muralikrishna said the State was at the top in the country with a strong foundation in horticulture and the second
largest producer of fruits. Mango and Banana were two major crops which generate substantial revenue to farmers, but farmers were not
getting remunerative price for the produce since processing varieties were not grown, he said.

Though the State stood first in mango production in the country but when it comes to yield per acre, it was ranked fifth due to supply
chain constraints, failure to adopt advance farming technology and poor quality of seeds, he said. He said there was an urgent need for a
dedicated mango development board to encourage the overall development of mango crop cultivation, post harvest management and
developing processable varieties characterized by high yields and more pulp.

Muralikrishna said that banana was the third important fruit crop after mango and citrus. Due to mishandling of produce about 25-40
percent was being wasted and only two percent was processed into value added products. The remaining was being used in the raw farm,
he said. In order to sustain production and growth potential, it was essential to produce value added products based on banana, so that
farmers get an assured price for their produce all the time, he said.

Processing of banana for preparation of derivative products was a promising area since banana can be pulped, juiced or concentrated,
canned, sliced and dried, he said. Setting up banana board on the similar lines of mango development board was necessary for
promoting latest farming techniques, ensuring post harvesting facilities, development of processable varieties with high yields, storage
and marketing facilities, said Muralikrishna.