Start a Successful Venture by Value Additions in Banana

    

     Banana is a delicious & versatile fruit of Indian origin. In Tamil culture, Banana is one of the crucial fruits described in Sangam literatures, one among as "Ma, Pala, Vaazhai". Nothing goes as waste from Banana tree & every inch of tree can be transformed for useful purpose right from pseudostem, fruits, leaves, flowers. Banana bestows for innumerous health benefits as it provides Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, anti-oxidants, Minerals, etc. Consuming a banana for breakfast keep your stomach fuller, boosts immune system & makes you energetic for the whole day. Having banana for night induces sleep & is the best constipation reliever. 

     India is the largest producer of banana with 17 Million ton of production in area of 4,90,000 ha. More than 50 cultivars are popular & being cultivated in India which includes Rasthali, Nei Poovan, Nendran, Mondhan, Red banana, Virupakshi, etc. Yet the top ruling variety utilised for trade is Dwarf Cavendish. 

     Indian Farmers' are much interested in Banana cultivation. As banana is a water loving crop, it's is being cultivated along delta regions. Due to high moisture content, perishability & climatic nature of banana fruit, farmers incur heavy post harvest losses. Indeed, Banana cultivation can be turned profitable by converting freshly harvested banana into semi perishable value added products (VAPs). Processing of banana not only saves farmer from loss but also fetch him more returns revolving from multiple ways.

     As an Agripreneur enthusiast, you can look into substantial ways of processing banana into delicious VAPs, fetching you remunerative returns. Here are, "7 Luscious Value Additions in Banana" for you to start your venture with...

1. Banana Crisps/Chips

     Who would not prefer salt & crispy Banana chips for an evening snack? Among all varieties, Nendran variety of plantain is the most suitable for banana chips preparation. Nendran fruits are harvested at 80% maturity, peeled, treated with 1% K2S2O5, cut into small sizes & subjected for deep frying in coconut oil. It's then sprinkled with salt & packed in air tight polyethylene covers. One can relish banana chips packed in polyethylene bags for about 30-35 days under optimum conditions. Installing an automatic Banana chips Making Machine can be a time saving one!

2. Banana Fig

     Banana Figs are dehydrated bananas with sweet & sticky consistency. Karpuravalli & dwarf cavendish cultivars are suitable for making banana figs. It's peeled, treated with 1% K2S2O5 solution & then dried under hot sun or oven @ 50°C for 24 hrs. It's then packed in preferred containers. Banana Figs are suitable for consumption upto 3-4 months under optimum conditions. 

3. Banana Flour & Powder 

     Banana Flour is prepared from mature banana possessing high starch content. Unripe fruits are blanched, peeled & treated with 1% K2S2O5 solution & made into slices. The slices are then, dehydrated made into powder using mixer in order to attain good consistency. Banana Flour can be employed for multiple uses as nutritious adjuvents in breads, cakes, biscuits, baby foods & health drinks. It can also be blended with other cereal flours for chapatti making. Unlike maida flour which get junked in your stomach causing indigestion problem, banana flour aids in easy digestion & cures ulcer. Shelf life of Banana flour is the longest upto 1 year.

     Banana Powder is prepared from fully ripened banana. It's peeled, pulped, homogenized & dried @ 30-32° C & 30% RH. Banana Powder brings in high market value as it's used in confectionary, icecream preparation, baby foods making. Shelf life of Banana powder can be above 6 months.

4. Banana Puree &  RTS juice

     How about beating the hot summer by serving your customers with cool & fresh banana juice?Ripened dwarf cavendish fruits are peeled, pulped, homogenized, pasteurized & packed into preferred containers. Puree is extensively utilised in manufacture of diary products like milkshakes, icecreams, yogurts, breads, cakes & drinks. Puree 's shelf life can be upto 3 months.

     Since puree is so thick, juice can't be consumed directly. Puree has to be treated with pectolytic enzymes in order to obtain clear juice after filtration & centrifugation. TSS should be 16° brix & 0.3% acidity. However, shelf life of Banana RTS juice come around 6 months

5. Banana fruit bar

    

     Instead of commercial chocolates which cause diabetes & obesity, your banana fruits bars can set out a bench mark in market as it could be loved & relished by kids. Ripened banana of any variety is preferred for preparation of Banana fruit bar. Banana pulp is homogenized, added with citric acid, pectin & sugar in right quantity & dehydrated in ghee coated tray @60°C & finally made into a sheet. They can be cut into pieces of desired shapes & packed with your branded wrapper for sale in the market. 

6. Banana Biscuits

      How about offering nutritious, crunchy banana biscuits for a morning cup of hot tea/coffee to people

which will make their day complete? Banana biscuits can be made by blending 60% banana flour & 30% maida, with addition of sugar, dalda, baking powder, milk powder & essence in proper proportion. 

7. Banana Jam & Jelly

     Have you ever thought of replacing artificial Jams with naturally prepared banana jams in your  consumers' plate for their morning breakfast along with bread? Yes, by boiling banana with sugar, pectin, citric acid in right quantity until it gives a good set, you can start selling mouth-watering Banana jam in your own brand.

     Jelly is a semi solid product prepared from boiling clear stained fruit free from pulp & by adding appropriate quantity of citric acid & pectin. Make sure your jelly be transparent, appealing & sparking with the strong aroma of fruit.

     Many of KVK's & Research Institutes offer helping hand in training enthusiastic candidates for them to transform into young entrepreneurs. ICAR- NRCB Trichy is offering a 5 day entrepreneur training programme, which you can get benefitted too.

     These days, it's just not enough to remain as farmers. Rather, farmer turned Agripreneur by value addition & processing can earn him multiple profits from all possible ways...

"Entrepreneurs don't do different things, but do things differently"