GI certified Jalgaon banana exported to Dubai

India exported 1.91 lakh tonne banana worth ₹ 619 crore during 2020-21

In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) certified agricultural produce, a consignment of fibre and mineral rich ‘Jalgaon banana’ has been exported to Dubai.

The twenty-two metric tonnes of GI certified Jalgaon banana were sourced from progressive farmers of Tandalwadi village, part of Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, a banana cluster identified under Agri Export Policy.

In 2016, Jalgaon Banana got GI certification which was registered with Nisargraja Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Jalgaon. India’s banana export has been rising sharply because of adoption of farm practices as per the global standards.

India’s banana exports grew both in terms of volume as well as value from 1.34 lakh metric tonne valued at ₹ 413 crore in 2018-19 to 1.95 lakh metric tonne valued at ₹ 660 crore in 2019-20. During 2020-21 (April-February), India has exported banana worth of 1.91 lakh tonne valued at ₹ 619 crore.

India is the world's leading producer of bananas with a share of around 25% in total output. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh contribute more than 70% of the country's banana production.

APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components of its scheme such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development. In addition, APEDA also conducts international Buyer Seller Meets, Virtual trade fairs with importing countries to promote agricultural & processed food products.

Apart from this the Department of Commerce also supports exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiative etc.

Geographical Indication certification boosts exportability of Jalgaon banana, facilitating quality-linked international market access. A consignment of GI-certified Jalgaon banana was exported to Dubai from Tandalwadi village, sourced from a designated banana cluster under the Agri Export Policy; the GI certification (granted in 2016) serves as a quality- and origin-linked assurance that supports international marketability. The release links this shipment to broader export growth and notes export-promotion measures including infrastructure, quality development, market development assistance, and buyer-seller engagements that facilitate market access for certified agricultural produce.