More than 60,000 People Visit National Banana Festival Exhibition

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Banana lovers and enthusiasts from far and near have been thronging the National Banana Festival 2018 Exhibition venue at the Vellayani Temple Ground in Kalliyoor Panchayat. Over the weekend, around 60,000 people from the city as well as from the other suburbs of the capital travelled to the venue to have a glimpse of the wide range of products and services on display.
Family crowds, foreign nationals, banana enthusiasts, researchers, scientists and the local farmers made it a point to spend a lot of time going around each stall and get a feel of the wide ranging products that the banana fruit and plant offer.
For those who have experienced only the banana fruit, flower and the leaf, the exhibition threw up many a surprise. Among the crowd favourites were the value added products made from all parts of the banana plant. Stalls displaying baby beds and pillows made out of banana fibre proved to be a revelation as many felt that the value addition the lowly fibre offered was amazing.
These apart, the exhibition also puts forth products that could help housewives and small entrepreneurs tap the income-generation potential that the banana plant offers. For instance, products like banana wine, banana pickles made from the core of the banana pant and flower, footwear made out of banana fibre, doormats and mobile pouches were picked up by the visitors.
The exhibition also transports visitors down memory lane, with a unique display of ancient traditional farm equipment. All agricultural tools, and other products that were used by the farmers are on display.