§1What this business is
The land is prepared with green manure, pits are filled with manure and neem cake, and tissue-culture plants are planted (1,235 per acre in the report's costing) with drip irrigation, fertigation and plastic mulch. The crop is ready in 11–12 months, and two ratoon crops follow, giving three harvests in 28–30 months. Bunches sell to traders, mandis, ripening centres and processors.
Capacity: 9,259 plants (8,796 after 5% mortality) yielding 25 kg each — about 2,19,896 kg a year.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A farmer with irrigated land in a banana belt and links to traders or ripening centres.
Who it is not for
Someone without water, owned land or farm experience.
Advantages
- Tissue-culture plants are disease-free and uniform, and 95–98% bear bunches, says the report
- Three crops in 28–30 months
- Drip and fertigation save water and raise yield
- Many outlets — fresh fruit, chips, fibre and leaves
Drawbacks
- Needs large owned land and plenty of water
- Prices crash in glut seasons
- Strong winds, cold below 12°C and diseases can ruin the crop
- Labour-heavy (17 people for 7.5 acres)
Skills you need
- Drip irrigation and fertigation
- Pest and disease control
- Bunch care (de-navelling, propping, covering)
- Harvest timing and post-harvest handling
Why difficulty 3/5: Proven package of practices, but it needs land, water, labour and good price timing.
§3Market
Who buys
- Fruit traders and commission agents
- Ripening centres
- Chips and food processors
- Exporters (hands of 4–16 fingers in poly-lined boxes)
How it sells
- Local mandis — bunches by lorry
- Direct sale to traders at the farm
- Cool-chain supply at 13°C for export and modern retail
Good to know
- The report says drip with fertigation and tissue-culture plants can give yields as high as 100 tonnes a hectare.
- Fruit for export is washed, treated, graded, packed in 14.5 kg ventilated boxes and pre-cooled to 13–15°C.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Drip irrigation system (7.50 acres, ₹25,000 an acre) | 7.50 acres | ₹1.88 lakh |
| Plastic mulching (₹12,800 an acre) | 7.50 acres | ₹0.96 lakh |
| Tube well and pump set | 1 | ₹2.30 lakh |
| Farm equipment (₹5,000 an acre) | 7.50 acres | ₹0.38 lakh |
| Land development, fencing and levelling (₹27,500 an acre) | 7.50 acres | ₹2.06 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Banana Cultivation (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Tissue-culture banana plants (e.g. Grand Naine)9,259 plants at ₹17.50 each = ₹1,62,029
- Fertiliser and manure₹10,000 an acre at planting (₹74,970); all-India norm 20 kg FYM, 200 g N, 60–70 g P and 300 g K per plant
- Pit mix10 kg FYM, 250 g neem cake and 20 g carbofuran per pit
From: PMEGP sample project report — Banana Cultivation (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- No factory licences are needed for cultivation
- Register on your state's horticulture department portal to claim subsidy
- FSSAI registration only if you pack or process fruit for sale
- APEDA registration if you export
§6Schemes & subsidies
Research is in progress. We do not publish guessed numbers — this part will be filled in as soon as we have a source.
The report counts a capital subsidy of ₹4.50 L but does not name the scheme — check with your state horticulture department. PMEGP does not cover crop cultivation, and the NHB scheme listed on this site is for larger commercial horticulture projects.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: For 7.50 acres of owned land: land development and fencing ₹2.06 L + plantation ₹2.29 L + plastic mulching ₹0.96 L + drip irrigation ₹1.88 L + tube well and pump ₹2.30 L + farm equipment ₹0.38 L = ₹11.36 L (term loan ₹6.00 L).
Working capital: No separate working capital line; yearly running costs (fertiliser, wages, water, power) are met from sales.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery and raw-material prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: APEDA
- The project report prints no HS code; look up the 8-digit ITC(HS) line on the DGFT website or with a customs broker before exporting.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Price crashes at harvest
- Wind damage and cold injury
- Diseases and pests
- Water shortage
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working tissue-culture banana farming unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (No factory licences are needed for cultivation, Register on your state's horticulture department portal to claim subsidy), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Tissue-Culture Banana Farming?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.