Sustainability of Banana Cultivation in Vaishali District, Bihar

Abstract

Horticulture is one of the important agricultural activities that provide large-scale production of fruits, woods, and medicines. Banana cultivation comes under horticultural cultivation. Bananas need a unique geographical location and cultivation. Vaishali has favorable geographical conditions for banana cultivation. Production of bananas is increasing, but the area of banana cultivation is declining, especially after 2020. In this research, researchers tried to investigate the sustainability of banana cultivation areas with the help of primary surveys and satellite data (Landsat 8 and MODIS).

Introduction

Natural resources and their sustainable use are crucial for both local and global economic development. Banana cultivation, a significant cash crop in Bihar—particularly in Vaishali district—is important for nutrition, medicine, and local livelihoods, but production and cropped area have been declining. Factors contributing to this decline include unscientific cultivation, inadequate irrigation, climate impacts, lack of quality planting material, high labor and input costs, and reduced farmer interest, despite the nutritional and economic value of local varieties like “Hajpuria Kela” and “Malbhog.”

Sustainable banana cultivation offers environmental, social, and economic benefits, such as job creation, soil fertility maintenance, eco-friendly practices, and support for local traditions. Research and literature indicate that challenges in production, marketing, and resource management need to be addressed to enhance productivity, farmer income, and long-term sustainability. The study focuses on analyzing trends, identifying constraints, and exploring strategies to improve banana cultivation in Vaishali, ensuring it remains a viable and sustainable agro-economic activity.

References

[1] Anonymous (2014). Banana production methods: A comparative study (2014) Banana report – 2nd draft. Centro Ecologico, July 04. [2] Begum, J.A. and Raha, S.K. (2002). “Marketing of banana in selected areas of Bangladesh”, Economic Affairs Calcutta, 47(3):158-166. [3] Benson, M. H. and Craig, R. K. (2014). “The end of sustainability”. Society & Natural Resources, 27(7):777-782. [4] Bodin, O. and Prell, C. (2011). Social Networks and Natural Resource Management: Uncovering the Social Fabric of Environmental Governance, New York, Cambridge University Press. [5] Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our Common Future, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford University Press. [6] Goldstein, J. (1981). Environmental Decision Making in Rural Locales: The Pine Barrens, New York , Praeger Publishers. [7] Holling, C.S. (1986). The resilience of terrestrial ecosystems: local surprise and global change. In: Clark, W.C., Munn, R.E. (Eds.). [8] Kuhlman, T. and Farrington, J. (2010). “What is Sustainability?”, Sustainability, 2: 3436-3448. [9] Kumar, K. P. S. , Bhowmik, D., Duraivel, S., and Umadevi, M.(2012). “Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Banana” , Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 1(3): 51-63. [10] Lin, B.B. (2011) Resilience in Agriculture through Crop Diversification: Adaptive Management for Environmental Change, BioScience , 61(3): 183-193. [11] Maurya, O. P., Singh G. N. , and Kushwaha R. K. S. (1996). “Profitability of Banana Plantation in District Hajipur (Bihar)”, Bihar Journal of Agricultural Marketing, 4(1): 68-70. [12] Mattsson, E. and Grolink, A.B. (2004). Comparison of standards for sustainable cultivation of bananas, Report of Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, March 2. [13] Pretty, J. N. (1995). Regenerating Agriculture: Policies and Practice for Sustainability and Self-Reliance, London, Earthscan Publications Ltd. [14] Rao, G. K. (2000). Comparative economics of banana and sugarcane cultivation in Tungabhadra command area of Karnataka, M.Sc. (Agri) Thesis, University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad ,India. [15] Sajjad, H. Nasreen, I. and Ansari, S. S. (2014) Assessing Spatial-temporal Variation in Agricultural Sustainability Using Sustainable Livelihood Security Index : Empirical Illustration from Vaishali District of Bihar, India, Agroecology and Sustainable Food System, Jan: 46 -68. [16] Santosh, D.T., Tiwari, K.N. and Reddy R.G. (2017). “Banana Bunch Covers for Quality Banana Production – A Review”, International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 6(7):1275-1291. [17] Senthilnathan, S. and Srinivasan, R. (1994). “Production and marketing of Poovan banana in Trichirapalli district”, Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing, 8(1): 46-53. [18] Shivanand, S.G. (2002). “Performance of banana plantation in North Karnataka –An economic analysis”, M.Sc (Agri) Project Report, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. [19] Singh, R.P. and Singh, D.K. (1990).“Comparative cost and profitability of tall and dwarf varieties of banana production in Bihar”, Economic Affairs (Calcutta), 35(2):129-134. [20] Tilman, D., Cassman K.G., Matson, P.A., and Naylor R.L. (2002). “Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices”, Nature, 418, 671–77. [21] Thakur, B. and Tanu, V. (2007). Banana Cultivation in Vaishali District: A Study in Resource Management; in Thakur B., Pomeroy G., Cusack C. and Thakur S. K. (eds), City, Society and Planning, New Delhi: Concept Publication Company, 3: 442 – 463. [22] Vandermeer, J., M. van Noordwijk, J. Anderson, C. O , and Perfecto I. (1998). Global change and Multi-species Agroecosystems: Concepts and Issues. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 67:1-22. [23] Telegraph (2017). Web source link https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170315/jsp/bihar/story_140621.jsp [24] Accessed on March 15, 2017. [25] World Bank(2015). Web source link https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.AGRI.ZS?locations=IN [26] Accessed on June 10,2018. [27] Census of India(2011). http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/1018_PART_B_DCHB_VAISHALI.pdf

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. Deepak Kumar Dipankar, Dr. Sumita , Sarsij Nayan. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.