Banana Grower's Bold Protest Shines Light on Crop Price Crisis

In Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district, banana cultivator Kishore Vasankar protests against low banana prices, pledging to remain half-naked until governmental intervention. Local farmers suffer losses as traders sell bananas at high retail rates. Protests demand inclusion of bananas in the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme.

Amidst growing unrest, a passionate protest by a farmer in Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, has captured attention. Kishore Vasankar, a local banana cultivator, has vowed to remain half-naked in protest over plummeting banana prices. The move underscores the dire financial straits faced by local farmers who depend on this key crop for their livelihood.

Vasankar, aged 44, highlights a stark contrast in treatment; while Maharashtra farmers benefit from the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme, their Burhanpur counterparts do not enjoy similar inclusion. Vasankar accuses traders of exploiting this gap, purchasing bananas at low prices directly from farmers and marking them up significantly in the retail market.

The economic strain led to a large-scale protest in Burhanpur, where farmers, frustrated and desperate, demanded fair prices and insurance coverage. Tensions rose as protesters attempted to storm the District Magistrate's office, resulting in broken glass. However, the protest concluded peacefully after the intervention of law enforcement.

(With inputs from agencies.)