Chitwan Farmer Successfully Produces Banana Wine and Brandy from Surplus Harvest
A commercial banana farmer in Chitwan has successfully developed banana wine and brandy using overripe bananas that would otherwise go to waste, opening new opportunities for value-added agriculture and agro-tourism in Nepal.
Thakur Sapkota, a commercial banana farmer from Ratnanagar Municipality-12, Jirouna in Chitwan, has successfully produced banana wine and is nearing commercial production of banana brandy after a year of research and product development.
Sapkota, who has been cultivating bananas commercially for the past 15 years through his A & B Banana Farm, manages around 12 bighas of farmland. He began exploring value-added banana products after facing recurring losses caused by storms, market shortages, and unsold ripe bananas that often spoiled before reaching consumers.
With technical assistance and support from the Agriculture Development Office in Bharatpur, Sapkota launched an experimental project to convert surplus bananas into alcoholic beverages. The research has successfully produced banana wine, while the development of banana brandy has reached an advanced stage.
According to Sapkota, processing 500 kilograms of ripe bananas yields approximately 200 liters of banana wine, while 300 kilograms of bananas can produce 120 to 130 liters of brandy through a natural fermentation process that utilizes the fruit's natural sugars.
He is now moving forward with plans to register the venture as a micro-distillery, aiming to establish a locally operated business rather than a large-scale liquor factory. Sapkota believes Chitwan's bananas should be officially branded, similar to how local governments have promoted millet-based products in other parts of Nepal.
Around 1,000 people have already tasted the experimental beverages, with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Commercial production and market expansion are expected to begin in the next fiscal year.
To further promote banana-based products, Sapkota has also opened a dedicated outlet in Tandi Bazaar, offering banana momo, chips, pakoda, choila, banana chilli, pickles, and other innovative food items that are attracting both local customers and tourists.
He hopes banana diversification will strengthen Chitwan's agricultural economy, reduce post-harvest losses, and create a unique agro-tourism identity for the district.