In 2021, college friends Jagat Kalyan, Satyam Kumar, and Nitish Verma founded ‘Taruwar Agro’ to creatively address the issue of banana tree waste in Bihar.
The challenge of dealing with post-harvest banana waste was one Jagat and his friends had witnessed firsthand while growing up in their family fields.
“Once the fruits are harvested, farmers need to chop down the tree as it produces fruits only once in its life cycle. Clearing this waste is a headache for farmers,” says Jagat.
At their startup, the trio focuses on converting this banana waste into eco-friendly products such as tableware, bags, and decorative items.
While doing so, the friends maintain a zero-waste approach in all their processes. For instance, the leftover pulp from fibre extraction is processed into high-quality vermicompost.
Additionally, Taruwar Agro extracts banana liquid from the pulp, which serves as a natural fertiliser rich in micronutrients like potassium and iron. “Everything in the process is turned into something valuable,” Jagat points out.
The startup processes up to 600 kg of banana fibres from waste every month. Moreover, they provide farmers with an additional source of income by purchasing this waste.
“Depending on the size of the tree, we pay Rs 5 and Rs 25 per tree. Now, they are not just earning by selling fruit but also tree waste. This process also saves them labour costs of Rs 1,000,” Jagat shares.
“Today, I am glad that banana waste in a radius of 10 kilometres from our factory is being used as raw materials for useful products. With this, farmers are also getting extra monetary benefits. Banana waste is no longer a headache for them now,” he adds.
Taruwar’s commitment to sustainability and social impact has garnered significant traction, with an annual turnover of Rs 50 lakh in FY 2023-24.