The High Value Agriculture Development Agency (HVADA) under the Directorate of Agriculture has deputed 19 farmers and Self Help Group members from South Andaman, Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur zones for a six-day specialised training programme on post-harvest management and value addition of banana. The programme was conducted at the ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Trichy, Tamil Nadu, from January 26 to January 31, 2026.
The initiative aims to strengthen scientific post-harvest practices, reduce crop losses and enhance farmers’ income through value addition and entrepreneurship in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Two officials from the Agriculture Department accompanied the farmer participants during the training.
According to officials, the programme focused on equipping farmers with technical and practical knowledge required to improve banana handling, processing and marketing, thereby addressing post-harvest challenges that often affect profitability in the islands.
The training included a blend of classroom lectures and hands-on practical sessions. Key areas covered were scientific banana cultivation, post-harvest handling techniques, quality control, food safety standards, packaging and branding strategies, nutritional aspects of banana products, and the use of disease-free planting material.
A major component of the programme was skill-based practical exposure. Participants received hands-on training in preparing banana central core stem juice, banana flower pickle, dehydrated banana products, banana flour, health mix, baby food and low-fat banana chips. Officials noted that these sessions generated keen interest among the farmers, particularly in products with high market demand and value addition potential.
In addition to laboratory and processing unit training, the participants were taken on exposure visits to a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) and a Self Help Group engaged in banana processing at Thottiyam. These visits provided practical insights into enterprise development, processing workflows, collective marketing and sustainable livelihood models based on banana value chains.
The exposure was intended to help farmers understand how organised producer groups can improve scale, market access and income stability while reducing individual risk.
During the valedictory session of the training programme, participants were supplied with saplings of improved banana varieties, including Red Banana, Kaveri Poovan and Kaveri Kanchan. Farmers expressed confidence in adopting the technologies demonstrated during the programme and disseminating the practices in their respective regions across the islands.
Officials stated that the training is expected to promote banana-based value addition activities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, encouraging diversification beyond raw produce sales. The initiative is also expected to open new income generation opportunities through small-scale processing, branding and entrepreneurship, particularly for Self Help Groups.
The Directorate of Agriculture noted that such capacity-building programmes are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen high-value agriculture in the islands and improve farm incomes through technology-driven interventions.
