Njali Poovan Pricey; Shortage As Onam Arrives Ahead Of Harvest

The price of Njali Poovan banana variety, which is an indispensable part of Onam Sadya, has gone up above Rs. 90/kg due to shortage.

Last week, the price at Ernakulam was Rs. 70 /kg, and now it has gone up to above Rs. 90. Hoteliers saying that the prices are at Rs. 100 and Rs. 110/kg, reported the Times of India.

The increasing demand and the shortage to supply have created this price rise. The early arrival of Onam festival and the demand from north added to the shortage.

“The harvesting season of the banana variety always falls during the Onam season. But this year Onam arrived 10 to 15 days earlier than usual. Besides, most of the bananas harvested in Mettupalayam were transported to North India where the demand rose due to Ganesotsavam,” a whole sale banana dealer in Ernakulam market told the Times of India.

The government’s Horticorp shop is also short of njali poovan bananas. The shortage could be because of hoarding too, in order to sell it at exorbitant prices during Onam, a Horticorp staff said. The government’s stock is in small quantity, which has been earmarked to be sold at the prisons, the staff added.

The hoteliers, are being faced with the choice of buying the banana variety at high prices or to switch njali poovan with palayamkodan variety. “We don’t get ripe Njali Poovan from the market. Even if we get it, we have to shell out Rs 100 to Rs 110 per kg,” Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association president T J Manoharan told, reported Times of India.