Mysuru :
CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, had organised a half-day workshop “Empowering Banana Farmers: Waste to Wealth” for banana growing farmers, processors and market players in Mysuru, on June 27.
The workshop was intended to create a robust market value chain and to improve sustainability of farming by converting waste to wealth which will be beneficial to large number of banana growers.
Banana farmers in the region of Hadinaru village, Nanjangud, raised concern on waste generated on-field during banana cultivation. Approximately 30 tons of waste has been generated per acre in one crop season from stem alone. To add commercial value to these waste, AcSIR students of the Institute took up the task and initiated interactions with farmers of Hadinaru village.
Accordingly, CSIR-CFTRI proposed a WMM (Waste to Wealth) model wherein, the waste generated from fields could be used for fibre extraction, stem juice production using CSIR-CFTRI technologies and for vermi-composting. This model completes the sustainability cycle by bringing income to farmers from waste via fibre, juice and organic manure production.
Fibre extracted from stem can blended easily with cotton fibre or other synthetic fibres to produce blended fabric and textiles. It is mainly used by cottage industry in Southern India at present.
Banana fibre also finds use in high quality security/ currency paper, packing cloth for agriculture produce, ships towing ropes, wet drilling cables etc. Whereas the juice extracted from stem has many medicinal benefits. The proposed model is expected to give substantial income per acre from banana stem wastes with least capital investment.
Accordingly, 2 tonnes of waste stem was brought from fields to CSIR-CFTRI and the fibre extraction, stem juice and biocompost preparation was demonstrated in the Institute to farmers.
Farmers groups, buyers, processors, along with officials of NABARD, Mysuru and Technologists from CFTRI attended the workshop. The Waste to Wealth model was unveiled by Prof. Ram Rajasekharan, Director, CSIR-CFTRI during the workshop.
N. Aravamudhan, AGM, NABARD, Mysuru, who was the chief guest, shared information on schemes and subsidies available from NABARD for farmers.
Prof. Ram Rajasekharan shared an innovation road map for banana stem juice to be part of sports beverage industries and possible products that can be made from banana fibre.
The institute has asserted to work on establishing semi-processing units through farmers and SHGs with the support of Government and other agencies, transfer of technology to agri-enterprises, training and creating a network amongst them for ensuring proper returns to farmers and growers.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / July 07th, 2016