BANANa Farmer (QP: AGR/Q0301)

Name of Course: Banana Farmer

Sector:

Agriculture

Industry Highlights:

India is the largest producer and exporter of banana in the world. It is cultivated in an area of 830.5 thousand hectares and the total production is around 29,779 thousand tons[1]. The major banana growing states are Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The commercially grown banana varieties are Grand Naine, Robusta, Dwarf Cavendish, Red Banana, and Nendran. Apart from the high export potential, all parts of the banana plant have medicinal applications; this leads to good scope for prospects for banana crop cultivation.

Course Highlights:

The course shall equip successful trainees with the knowledge and skills required for cultivation of banana crop as per the standard practices recommended for a particular agronomic climate zone, type of soil, rainfall pattern and climatic conditions to achieve optimal banana yields and sell the produce as per competitive market prices. Trainees shall be trained on various aspects like preparing planting material, undertaking land preparation and plantation, Integrated Nutrient Management, Integrated Pest and Disease Management, irrigation management and other operations, harvesting and post-harvest management, selling of produce, etc

Desirable Personal Traits:

• Good stamina and physical fitness
• Knowledge of basic arithmetic and algebra principles
• Ability to work independently
• Good decision-making skills, problem-solving abilities and risk-bearing capacity, entrepreneurial skills

Career Options:

Job prospects: Banana Farmer

Internship:

150 hours of internship with farms and nurseries

Assessment and Certification:

Continuous assessment is carried out by the Training Service Provider and final assessment by an independent assessor, assigned by the Sector Skill Council. Certificate will be issued by Government of Kerala and the Sector Skill Council, to successful trainees.

Eligibility:

• Male students enrolled in Standard XI in any stream
• Male students who have successfully completed ‘Aptitude Test’ and ‘Personal Interview’