Banana is one of the most important major fruit crops
grown in India. In respect of area and production, it ranks second only
to mango in this country. The banana culture in India is as old as Indian
civilization.
Banana plantation
It seems that it is one of the earliest fruit crops grown by
mankind at the dawn of civilization. In India, bananas are so
predominant and popular among people that poor and rich alike
like the fruit.
Considering the nutritive value and fruit value of bananas, it is
the cheapest among all other fruits in the country. Considering the
year round availability of fruits, unlike the seasonal availability
of other tree fruits, it has become an inevitable necessity in any household
in India, for all functions.
The bananas were grown in Southern Asia even before the prehistoric
periods and the world's largest diversity in banana population is found
in this area. Hence, it is generally agreed that all the edible bananas
and plantains are indigenous to the warm, moist regions of tropical
Asia comprising the regions of India, Burma, Thailand and Indo China.
The edible banana is believed to have
originated in the hot, tropical regions of South-East Asia. India is
believed to be one of the centres of origin of banana.
Its cultivation is distributed throughout
the warmer countries and is confined to regions between 300N
and 300S of the equator.
Banana is also grown, in many other countries
of the world namely Bangladesh, the Carribbean Islands, the Canary Islands,
Florida, Egypt, Israel, Ghana, Congo, South Africa, Fiji, Hawaii, Taiwan,
Indonesia, the Philippines, South China, Queensland and Sri Lanka.
The highest acreage of bananas is in Africa,
where bananas reach their maximum importance as starchy food. They are
the staple food of the Buganda in Uganda, the Wahaya in Bukoba and the
Wachagga in Tanzania.
History
