A Glimpse at the State of Banana Farming in Kenya

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy directly contributing 26 percent of the GDP annually, and another 25 percent indirectly. The sector accounts for 65 percent of Kenya’s total exports and provides more than 70 percent of informal employment in the rural areas.

The agricultural sector is not only the driver of Kenya’s economy but also the means of livelihood for the majority of Kenyan people.

We can have a look at the banana sector in Kenya.

Kenya is among the world’s leading countries in terms of banana production with an annual production estimated at 1.1 million metric tons, 40 percent dessert and 60 percent cooking varieties. Banana is an important crop in eastern and central Africa. Apart from being a key staple food in the region, the crop is an important source of income for resource-poor farmers.

Bananas are ranked 4th after rice, wheat and maize as the world’s most valuable crop consumed for their high nutritive and therapeutic values.

Leading producers: Meru (19 percent); Kirinyaga (14 percent); Embu (12 percent); Taita Taveta (9 percent); Muranga (7 percent); Kisii (6 percent); Tharaka Nithi (6 percent); Bungoma (5 percent).

The most popular commercial Tissue Culture banana comprises of varieties such as Williams, GrandNain, Giant and Dwarf Cavendish and Chinese Cavendish. Murang’a and Meru County are among the regions that are suitable for banana cultivation and value chain development in Kenya with the support of organizations like USAID-Kenya and Techno-serve among others.

Banana plantations have recently replaced coffee plantations in Eastern, Central, Western and Coastal Regions of Kenya mainly carried out by poor small-scale farmers, the majority of who are women. The production is gradually changing from subsistence farming to cash farming for the small-scale farmers with a potential to penetrate higher value markets.

Banana is one of the best-known food crops in Africa. Women in particular use banana to diversify the types of foods consumed in the household. Apart from its value as a food crop in Kenya, sales from banana output provide the much-needed household income for small-scale farmers.

There has been a large and rapidly growing market for bananas due to rapid growth in demand with changing consumption habits and lifestyle

Kenya produced an average 1.4 million tons of bananas on about 50,281 hectares between 2011 and 2014 – highest out in 2008/9 (1.69 MMT). Highly commercial – farmers sell about 86 percent of output, on average.

Despite the sector being a stronghold, it still faces a number of challenges that tend to hinder its progression.  There is a strong demand for bananas but in turn, there is an inadequate production that cannot be able to cater for all the needs, lack of ready markets also tends to be the main constraint in the sector.

Diseases and pests, Poor crop husbandry, Low soil fertility, and Lack of clean planting materials, High post-harvest losses and inadequate value addition, Poor marketing infrastructure are also among the challenges facing the banana sector in Kenya.

Farmers lack access to key input e.g. quality planting materials, fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery and implements among others. By increasing players involved in advance and supply of tissue culture banana at lower cost for farmers and harnessing the forces and fostering collaboration of all the stakeholders involved will help on the production of low-cost tissues culture banana plantlets.

Revamping Crop Yields can be a move in improving the sector. It is a common practice for a farmer to obtain suckers from a friend’s orchard and plant on their own. This poor agronomy has greatly contributed to the spread of pests and diseases. More, farmers lack knowledge on the best variety to choose. Most opt for the big ones which demand more water and may not do well in some area.

Introduction, development, and promotion of disease and pest banana resistant varieties; use of IPM technologies; training banana growers on the use of pest and disease control methods; carrying out periodic surveillance of pests and diseases as well as conducting audits on compliance of code of practice for safe use of pesticides can be used to mitigate the effects of pests and diseases.

The government has set up a banana value addition factory in Kisii that is processing 270 tons of bananas daily. Value addition increases shelf life of bananas, thus giving farmers a better bargain and a prospect to earn more.

Banana can be used to make: puree, figs, flakes, wine, jam, powder, and beverages. If turned into flour and used for fortification, banana can contribute to food security.

In promoting value addition technologies and activities enhanced can be used in promoting value addition technologies; creating awareness on appropriate technologies; building the capacity of stakeholders on value addition standards; generating awareness on intellectual property rights; promoting consumption of banana value-added products; facilitating linkages to financial institutions and establishing a center of excellence on banana value-added products.