An official said that after successfully exporting a trial shipment of fresh bananas to the Netherlands through the sea route, India aims to increase exports of this fruit to $1 billion in the next five years. Exports of most fruits from India are happening by air route because of lower volumes and different ripening periods. India is developing sea protocols for fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, and jackfruit to increase the volumes to promote their exports through ocean routes.

The protocol includes: Understanding voyage time, Scientifically understanding the ripening of these commodities, Harvesting at a particular time and training of farmers.

These protocols will be different for different fruits and vegetables.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and other stakeholders have developed these protocols for bananas. APEDA is an arm of the Ministry of Commerce.

"With the successful trial shipment, India aims to export bananas worth over USD one billion in the next five years, opening doors to a diversified market portfolio through sea route," the official said.

The trial shipment reached Rotterdam, Netherlands, on December 5. The consignment was shipped from Baramati, Maharashtra.

The official added that India's banana export destinations extend beyond the Middle East, with potential opportunities in major global players like the U.S., Russia, Japan, Germany, China, the Netherlands, the U.K., and France.

Despite being the world's largest banana producer, Indian exports represent just one per cent of the global market share, even though the country accounts for 26.45 per cent of the world's banana production at 35.36 million metric tonnes.

2022-23, India exported bananas worth $176 million, equivalent to 0.36 MMT.

The central banana-producing states include Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

Assistant Professor and expert on Agri Economics Chirala Shankar Rao said that colossal export potential for bananas is there from Andhra Pradesh. The official added that APEDA's continuous efforts, including B2B exhibitions and the development of sea protocols for other fruits, highlight a proactive approach to boost India's agricultural exports.