Executive Summary:
The Department of Commerce, through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), supports banana exporters, including those in Tamil Nadu, via the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS). Specific initiatives have been implemented to promote banana exports from Tamil Nadu. India, as a WTO member, is committed to not providing export subsidies to agricultural commodities, including bananas, after December 2023.
Key Points / Main Content:
Financial Assistance and Schemes:
* APEDA provides financial support to exporters nationwide, including Tamil Nadu, for promoting Scheduled products like bananas through the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS).
* The FAS has three components: Development of Export Infrastructure, Quality Development, and Market Development. Scheme guidelines are on APEDA's website.
* Financial support of Rs. 94,21,637 was extended to an APEDA-registered exporter for setting up an integrated packhouse in Tamil Nadu.
Export Promotion Initiatives for Tamil Nadu:
* Assistance extended for a trial shipment of Red bananas from Tamil Nadu to Austria in 2022.
* GI tagged Virupakshi Sirumalai bananas were exhibited in Qatar in 2023.
* Indian bananas, including those from Tamil Nadu, were promoted at international trade fairs like SIAL Paris and World Food Moscow.
* A Buyer Seller Meet was organized in Moscow.
* Ten packhouses in Tamil Nadu are recognized under APEDA's scheme.
* A National level workshop on GI Traditional banana varieties was conducted in Trichy in 2022.
* 16 training and capacity building programs carried out in Tamil Nadu during 2024-25, involving 2900 stakeholders.
* Farmer training programs on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) conducted in Theni and Trichy clusters in 2024-2025.
Challenges and Solutions:
* Key challenges include smaller size of Indian banana varieties, long transit times, adherence to quality requirements at small farms, and stringent phyto-sanitary requirements.
* Solutions include developing sea protocols, promoting Cavendish variety production, and training farmers in quality requirements and GAP.
Export Subsidies:
* India is committed to not providing export subsidies for agricultural commodities, including bananas, after December 2023, per WTO commitments.
Export Growth:
* Banana exports have grown by 128.54% in volume and 115.64% in value from 2022-23 to 2024-25.
* Banana exports: 2022-23: 363135.13 MT ($175.68 Million); 2023-24: 598750.95 MT ($292.19 Million); 2024-25: 829903.93 MT ($378.83 Million)
Impact Analysis:
Banana Exporters (including Tamil Nadu):
* Impact: Access to financial assistance for export promotion and infrastructure development. Benefit from promotional activities and training programs.
* Action Required: Utilize APEDA's Financial Assistance Scheme, participate in training programs, and adhere to quality and phyto-sanitary standards.
Banana Growers (including Tamil Nadu):
* Impact: Benefit from training programs on Good Agricultural Practices and opportunities to produce globally accepted banana varieties.
* Action Required: Participate in training programs, adopt Good Agricultural Practices, and consider growing Cavendish varieties.
APEDA:
* Impact: Responsible for providing financial support, organizing promotional events, and ensuring quality standards.
* Action Required: Continue implementing the Financial Assistance Scheme, organize training programs, and promote Indian bananas in international markets.
Department of Commerce:
* Impact: Oversees and supports the export promotion of bananas through APEDA.
* Action Required: Monitor the effectiveness of export promotion initiatives and address challenges faced by exporters.
Key Entities Referenced
Tamil Nadu: A state in India, a key region for banana production and export discussed in the document.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA): An organization under the Department of Commerce that provides financial support to exporters, including those in Tamil Nadu, for promoting exports of scheduled products like bananas.
Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS): A scheme of APEDA that provides financial support to exporters for export promotion through development of export infrastructure, quality development and market development.
Austria: The destination of a trial shipment of Red bananas from Tamil Nadu in 2022.
Qatar: A country where GI tagged Virupakshi Sirumalai bananas were exhibited by the Embassy of India, Doha, in 2023.
Moscow: A location where a Buyer Seller Meet and promotional event was organized to explore opportunities for Indian Bananas.
Trichy, Tamil Nadu: A city in Tamil Nadu where a National level workshop on GI Traditional banana varieties was conducted in 2022, and where farmer training programs on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for bananas were conducted in 2024-2025.
World Trade Organization: An international organization whose members, including India, are committed to not providing export subsidies to agricultural commodities after December 2023.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1516
ANSWERED ON 29.07.2025
BOOSTING BANANAS EXPORT
1516: SHRI SELVAM G:
SHRI C N ANNADURAI:
Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्री) be
pleased to state :-
(a) Whether the Government is providing assistance to State Governments,
particularly Tamil Nadu, for promoting and boosting the export of bananas;
(b) if so, the details thereof including the schemes, capacity building programmes,
infrastructure support or export subsidies provided during the last three years;
(c) the quantity of bananas exported from India along with corresponding foreign
exchange earned during each of the last three years and the current year, year-
wise;
(d) the key challenges faced in enhancing the export of bananas from India,
particularly from Tamil Nadu;
(e) whether Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) has initiated any specific steps to promote banana exports from Tamil
Nadu;
(f) if so, the details thereof of cluster development, export-oriented training and buyer-
seller meets organized; and
(g) whether any financial assistance or incentives are being provided to banana
growers and exporters to support banana exports from Tamil Nadu, if so, the
details thereof?
ANSWER
वाणिज्य और उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री (श्री णिणिन प्रसाद)
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI JITIN PRASADA)
(a) to (g)The Department of Commerce through the Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) provides financial support to exporters
from across the country, including from Tamil Nadu, for export promotion of it’s Scheduled
products, including bananas, through its Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS). The
1scheme has three components viz., Development of Export Infrastructure, Quality
Development and Market Development The scheme guidelines are available at APEDA’s
website www.apeda.gov.in under the “Scheme” tab.
The following specific steps have been taken for promotion of exports of Bananas from
Tamil Nadu:
i. Financial support of Rs. 94,21,637/- extended to a APEDA registered exporter, for
setting up of an Integrated Packhouse in Tamil Nadu, for the processing of
horticulture produce including bananas.
ii. Assistance extended for the trial shipment of Red bananas from Tamil Nadu to
Austria in the year 2022.
iii. GI tagged Virupakshi & Sirumalai bananas were exhibited in Qatar by the Embassy
of India, Doha, in 2023.
iv. Promotion by display and sampling of Indian Bananas, including from Tamil Nadu,
was carried out in key international trade fairs like SIAL Paris, World Food Moscow,
Asia Fruit Logistica, Hong Kong. An electronic campaign for promotion and branding
of Indian fruits including bananas is being organized in key international trade fairs,
in collaboration with the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF).
v. A Buyer Seller Meet and promotional event to explore opportunities for Indian
Bananas was organized in Moscow.
vi. Ten packhouses have been recognized in Tamil Nadu under APEDA’s pack house
recognition scheme to ensure quality of produce for export of fruits including banana.
vii. A National level workshop on GI & Traditional banana varieties, conducted in Trichy,
in 2022, in association with National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Trichy.
viii. During 2024-25,16 training and capacity building programs have been carried out in
Tamil Nadu exclusively for bananas, wherein 2900 stakeholders participated.
ix. Farmer training programs on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for bananas
conducted carried in Theni and Trichy clusters in 2024 & 2025 respectively.
The key issues and challenges faced in enhancing the export of bananas from India,
particularly from Tamil Nadu, are smaller size of Indian Banana varieties in general, than
the globally popular varieties which are larger sized, long transit time due to geographic
distance to key developed markets like the EU & Russia which makes it difficult to
maintain quality, adherence to quality requirements at small farms and stringent Phyto-
sanitary requirements imposed by key markets like the EU.
These issues and challenges are being resolved through development of sea protocols
for Bananas, sensitization of stakeholders to promote production of globally accepted
cavendish variety of Bananas, training and capacity building of farmers in quality
requirements and adoption of Good Agricultural practices.
With respect to specific export subsidies for exporters on achieving trade milestones, all
members of the World Trade Organization, including India are committed to not providing
2any export subsidies to agricultural commodities after December 2023, including for
bananas. This includes any subsidies for marketing and transportation of goods.
As a result of these efforts and active collaboration amongst all stakeholders, there has
been a significant growth in exports of Bananas, which have grown 128.54% in terms of
volume and 115.64% in terms of value, during the period 2022-23 to 2024-25.
The export data of bananas from India, during the last three years is as under.
India's Export of Bananas to the World
Value in USD Million Qty in MT
Products 2022- 2024-
2023-24 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
23 25
Bananas
(including other
bananas, 175.68 292.19 378.83 363135.13 598750.95 829903.93
Plantains,
Fresh/chilled)
Source: DGCIS
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