ICAR- National Research Centre for Banana, in its Silver Jubilee year opened a sales counter today on 11th July 2019 in its premises primarily to fulfil the vision of our Honourable Prime minister to encourage new entrepreneurs through Agri-start ups. Shri. Adithya Senthil Kumar, I.A.S. Sub Collector Srirangam inaugurated the sales counter and the first product was sold to Shri. K. Natarajan, I.B.S., Station Director, AIR, Trichy. The efforts of Banana research centre for the past 25 years to meet the farmers demand in multiple spectra of banana farming including production and allied sectors was recalled by the Sub Collector on this eve. He was enthused to know about the NRCB released varieties like Udhayam, Kaveri Saba, Kaveri Kalki, Kaveri Sugantham, Popoulu for the benefit of farming community and their significance in processing into multiple products like banana flour, pasta and juices. Mr. Natarajan, complemented the centre for mooting the idea of displaying the produces in its premises. He emphasized that the sales counter should be opened across the city in various focal points like railway station, bus stations and other predominant places in the near future. Utilization of banana waste for making products like stem candy, stem juice, peel and flower pickle was appreciated as they are likely to double the farmers’ income.

Dr. S. Uma, Director of the institute congratulated her team of scientists and other staff for their concerted efforts. She briefed that the idea behind sales counter was to primarily showcase the business opportunity with banana based value added products and to make it convenient for stakeholders to explore the value chain system developed with an array of products. Dehydrated energy rich banana fig, anti-dia bread, cake, basil seed suspended juice and kidney stone removing stem juice, candies are its flagship products. Other than processed products, the centre will also sell the tissue culture plantlets of its varieties, Banana shakthi, a micronutrient mixture and its farm produces including raw banana, fruits, stem and flower buds during the office hours and it is open for public from 10.00 AM to 4.00 PM. School children, local farmers and entrepreneurs were also invited for the function.