Indians can no longer boast of being the world’s biggest producer of banana, as its wild species are disappearing dramatically. Blame shrinking forests and rapid urbanization for this disappearance. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization informed this.
In a recent press statement, the FAO said that with an annual production of 18.52 tons, India is the world’s biggest banana grower. And this is more than 20 percent of the total world output of 80.03 tons in 2005. The food agency further said that bananas are the world’s most exported fruit! After rice, wheat and maize, it is the fourth most important food commodity.
As the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said,
But over-exploitation and the loss of forests as a result of encroachment and logging, slash-and-burn cultivation and urbanization are causing a rapid loss of wild banana species that have existed in India for thousands of years.
Via: Environmental News Network