banana news !!!

something that went viral – ‘ Banana news!’  with a  pic of a banana cart !!

 

Robusta, Dwarf Cavendish, Rasthali, Poovan, Nendran, Karpooravalli, Monthan, Virupakshi, Sirumalai, Manoranjitham , Kathali ……. – simply varieties of banana, that delicious fruit.  Recently, there was an article which explained at length that youngsters see it as ‘elderly people’s fruit’ and do not consume much … while old people feel that they need to eat one at least every day.  Then there is the ‘green banana’ – in one way green is unripe …having starchy texture and inedible – but green banana is a variety – generally big in size.  

A banana is a widely consumed, elongated fruit, botanically a berry, produced by plants in the genus Musa. It is a popular choice due to its nutritional value and affordability. The fruit is known for being a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, especially potassium. 

Tiruchuli is a town and a taluk in the Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.  It's located on the southern bank of the Gundar river. Tiruchuli is known for Sri Bhuminathaswamy temple, one of the 14 famous Shaiva temples in Pandya nadu. It's also the birthplace of the renowned saint Ramana Maharishi.  

Nearer this place, a farmer -  P. Lakshmana Perumal, 45, of Vadapalai,  lost 450 banana plants to a fire caused by lightning on Sunday, and is seeking  compensation from the State government.  Mr. Perumal said that a sudden lightning  struck few plantain trees, setting  them on fire on Sunday evening. A whirlwind that quickly followed the lightning helped the fire spread faster to other plantains too.  Before the fire tenders could arrive, the flames destroyed 450 of the 500 plantains of ‘karpooravalli’ variety. “The crop was 10 months old with good yield. I could have harvested it in another 20 to 30 days,” the farmer rued. Stating that he had taken a loan of ₹1.5 lakh from the cooperative society to raise the crops, Mr. Perumal said that he had lost everything to the blaze. The revenue officials promised that they would inspect his farm and take efforts to provide him compensation.

In nearby Srivaikuntam, strong winds  swept through for over an hour around 4 pm on Monday damaging  several acres of banana plantations and uprooting  a number of trees and electricity poles in certain areas of Srivaikuntam town panchayat, Adichanallur and Vellur panchayats. Several farmers claimed that many banana plants, bearing fruits and ripe for harvest by June, have been damaged and demanded that the government provide compensation. 

Numerous banana plantations in Vellur, Navaladiyoor Ponangkurichi, Puthukudi, Marthandanagar, Muthal Karai, Athinathapuram, Karaiyadiyur and Malavarayanatham have been flattened due to the strong winds. A few farmers have cultivated paddy in the region as well. According to sources, the gale uprooted many trees and damaged electricity poles, because of which, there was a day-long blackout in the region.  Banana is the major crop cultivated in the Srivaikuntam region and the produce is exported to Chennai and several places in Kerala. 

In a report that has sparked global discussion, Istanbul Airport has been dubbed the “world’s most expensive airport” by travellers shocked at the sky-high food and drink prices. The revelation, first reported by the Mirror, highlights how basic items like bananas and fast food meals are being sold at eye-watering rates.

According to passengers and media reports, a single banana at Istanbul Airport can cost £5 (around Rs 565), while a pint of beer goes for £15 (Rs 1,697). Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera labelled it the most expensive airport in Europe for food and drinks, citing an Italian traveller who paid £21 (Rs 2,376) for a 90-gram portion of lasagna. “It looked more like a piece of brick with grated cheese and a pseudo-basil leaf,” the writer complained, adding that the quality was nowhere near the exorbitant price.

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.4.2025