Sri Vijaya Puram | February 04, 2026
In a bid to strengthen post-harvest management practices and enhance farmers’ income through value addition and entrepreneurship, the High Value Agriculture Development Agency (HVADA) under the Directorate of Agriculture deputed 19 farmers and Self Help Group (SHG) members from South Andaman, Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur zones for a six-day specialized training programme on Post-Harvest Management and Value Addition of Banana.
The training was conducted at the ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, from January 26 to 31, 2026, and was attended by the farmers along with two officials from the Agriculture Department.
The programme featured a blend of theoretical sessions and hands-on practical training covering scientific banana cultivation, post-harvest handling, quality control, food safety, packaging and branding, nutritional aspects, disease-free varieties and improved production practices. Participants received practical exposure in preparing a range of value-added banana products, including banana central core stem juice, banana flower pickle, dehydrated banana products, banana flour, health mix, baby food and low-fat banana chips, which generated keen interest among the trainees.
As part of the exposure component, the participants also visited a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) and a Self-Help Group at Thottiyam, where they gained firsthand insights into banana processing, enterprise development and sustainable livelihood models.
During the valedictory session, the trainees were provided saplings of improved banana varieties such as Red Banana, Kaveri Poovan and Kaveri Kanchan. The participants expressed confidence in adopting the technologies learned during the programme and in disseminating them among fellow farmers in the islands.
The skill-based training initiative is expected to promote banana-based value addition, reduce post-harvest losses and create enhanced income generation opportunities for farmers and SHGs across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
