Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Andhra Pradesh have dispatched the first shipment of 890 tonnes of high quality banana from Anantpur district of the state to Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai for global markets, an official statement said on Friday.
It said the commerce ministry's agri export policy has notified banana cluster in Anantpur and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The exporting company has provided expertise and technology to help banana growers in Andhra Pradesh for enhancing the quality of banana production, it said.
More than 500 farmers cultivating bananas in over 1,800 hectares have been trained to boost the production and export of the fruit from Anantpur and nearby districts.
It said efforts have been made for reducing the transit time to Mumbai port by using refrigerated rail containers.