Indian produce giant Reliance Retail is planning to export bananas to the UK.

India is the world’s largest banana producer, with a 23 per cent share of world production, of 48.9 million tonnes. Exports from the Asian country have so far been affected by lack of market awareness, poor post-harvest management and the inadequacy of supply chain management, as well as cost.

Anindya Chakraborty, trade manager of line commercial reefers at the Indian unit of Maersk Line, said: “It typically costs 1.5 to 1.7 times more to ship a refrigerated container loaded with cargo across oceans than a normal container.”

The benefits of moving bananas in refrigerated containers, he added, are that it can accommodate smaller orders compared with bulk shipments. And reduced handling of bananas leads to less likelihood of the fruit getting damaged.

“Indian bananas have a shelf life of three weeks from the time the fruit is harvested. You cannot play with the shelf life of a product. The export market must be closer to the producing country,” said Chakraborty.

While the UK has more or less exclusively gorged itself on Cavendish for years, Reliance is trying to explore the potential for exporting different varieties, including red bananas, Rattail and Nentran. Each variety has its own distinctive taste to suit the needs of a wide range of customers all over the world, according to the company.

Reliance Retail’s aim is to enhance exports through value creation. Massive investment is being made in developing a national logistics infrastructure to reduce wastage - currently standing at 35 per cent across the supply chain - and increase efficiency. Plans include rural business hubs, city distribution centres and a national network of refrigerated vans for transport.

Progress to date has been slow. The company has exported just 50 banana containers weighing 18t, mainly to the Middle East and all on a trial basis.

Southern districts of India - Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta - are witnessing a revolution in banana cultivation. Thousands of hectares that had remained idle in these districts have come under banana cultivation, as farmers take short- and long-term leases for the crop.

Topics