Constraints faced during adoption of recommended banana cultivation technology by farmers of Bihar

Banana (Musa sp.) is an important fruit crop in many tropical and subtropical regions of India. Modern edible varieties have evolved from the two species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana and their natural hybrids. It is also referred to as Kalpatharu as it has multifaceted uses. In Bihar, banana is grown in around 31069.6 hectares (3.5% in India) with an annual production of 1396391.89 MT (4.5% in India), major banana growing districts in Bihar are Vaishali, Katihar, Kishanganj, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Naugachia, and Purnea. The study was carried out in 2021-22. A total of 200 respondents were selected randomly from the Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts of Bihar. To measure the constraints faced by the banana growers Garrett’s ranking and Factor analysis were used and it revealed that, the major constraint experienced by banana growers are biotic constraints like insect pests, diseases and weeds followed by low prices for the output of banana followed by timely non-availability of planting material, high prices for inputs etc. Therefore, necessary suitable steps should be taken by key growers to eliminate the constraints identified.