Hisar start-up brings cleaner, longer-lasting bananas to market

Banana, the energy-rich fruit of the common man, is set to be tastier, healthier and free of chemical residues, with a longer shelf life. A Hisar-based firm, Aurick Hisar, has set up its banana ripening centre in the city, using innovative technology that not only ensures better taste and healthier fruit but also brings operational wastage down to almost nil.

The firm’s project was funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)-supported Agri Business Incubation Centre (ABIC) at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) with an initial grant-in-aid of Rs 5 lakh.

ABIC director Dr Rajesh Gera said the firm had developed a unique concept combining imported technology with local innovation to ripen bananas for consumers. “It’s an innovative entrepreneurship model that appears to have strong potential in the region. Though banana production in Haryana is negligible, the initiative is also expected to promote horticulture in a state where the wheat-paddy cycle has become a cliché in the agriculture sector,” he said.

Aurick Hisar promoters, managing partner Pradeep Duhan, Payal Verma and co-founder director Vineet Munjal, said they saw huge potential for bananas in the Haryana market. “We have developed the region’s first integrated and intelligent banana ecosystem aimed at improving the value chain from farm to shelf. The initiative focuses on solving long-standing issues such as high wastage, poor shelf life, inconsistent ripening and the lack of support for farmers and consumers,” Munjal said.

He added bananas are India’s most consumed fruit, yet more than 95 per cent of consumption is in fresh form and the country exports less than three percent of its production despite being one of the world’s largest producers. “The traditional system also leads to high losses, estimated at between 20 and 30 per cent of total produce during transportation and ripening, before reaching the end consumer,” he said.

The company has set up an organised, technology-backed system that enhances quality, reduces waste and increases returns for all stakeholders. The model is driven by scientific cultivation, crate-based handling, controlled ripening and traceability. Expecting crop diversification among the state’s farmers towards horticulture and banana cultivation, Munjal said, “Our work starts at the farm level, selecting saplings that have undergone over five years of testing and supporting farmers in non-traditional growing belts. Farmers will receive guidance on scientific practices, assured buyback and opportunities for higher returns — estimated at 20 to 25 per cent more than conventional crops,” he said, adding they had assessed business potential in advance.

The firm’s research indicates that states such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh already demonstrate high productivity, with yields between 56 and 69 MT per hectare. “This also shows scope for improved cultivation in Haryana,” it said.

Pradeep Duhan, an HAU alumnus, said they improve banana quality through quick pre-cooling, ventilated storage and natural ethylene-based ripening, ensuring uniform, chemical-safe fruit with a longer shelf life. “Led by experienced professionals, the company boosts returns by cutting wastage below five per cent and offers farmers assured buyback, better prices and a stronger, more reliable value chain,” he said.