How Jalgaon, the Banana City of India, became the 7th biggest banana producer in the world

Bananas are tropical fruits that love humidity. Jalgaon in Maharashtra is not typically a favored place for bananas. It is situated more than 300 km from the Western coast and receives just 750 mm rainfall. Yet, Jalgaon is the seventh biggest producer of banana in the world! Jalgaon is known as the Banana City of India. It is also called the Gold City of Maharashtra, as it produces the purest gold in the state. Now the question arises: How did Jalgaon manage to “rub shoulders” with some of the biggest banana producers of the world like Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Panama? Jalgaon has been producing bananas since long, but the breakthrough happened only recently. If experts are to be believed, then advent of drip irrigation and a shift in planting style changed the banana scenario in this city. In spite of receiving low rainfall, the city’s independent banana growers were able to use scarcely available water in the most efficient ...