Banana Farming enhances food Security, Boosts Income

By Elizabeth Angira

Worth Noting:

• As a result, he has over 300 stands of banana with an average of 5 suckers per stand. The sizes of the stalks are comparatively bigger than the ones planted via traditional method.
• He has decided to adopt the tissue culture technology so as to increase his livelihood. Bananas grown using this method also takes many years before the suckers grow old.
• In this new method, he explains, “we dig holes three feet wide by five feet deep and then plant the banana sucker almost covered inside the hole. This allows the banana to develop deep roots and produce more suckers. The hole also collects water and allows the banana to grow better than if it were planted normally on a shallow hole like it was traditionally done.’’ Notes Moochi.

Agricultural systems provide food to the population and ensure food security among many Kenyan communities.

Food security is a contemporary discourse globally which seeks to strategies on availability and sufficient food supplies for the ever growing population.

Agricultural land use practices such as cultivation of cash and food crops influences food security at household level.

Land acreage under other crops has reduced as farmers have turned to banana farming

Matoke has since been associated with the Kisii community. It is served as a staple food in almost every Gusii household.

In fact, it is rightfully said that they are the Kenyan version of the Baganda when it comes to bananas.

This delicacy has also seen those farmers who grow bananas out a decent income.

However, growing  bananas in Kisii county,  has been faced with challenges making the production of this staple food dwindling but this is set to change after the introduction of tissue culture bananas.

Acreage  

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) says the County produced 238, 225 tones and is a leading in the cooking banana variety.

Other major producing counties are Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a and Nyamira.

For Peter Moochi, a retired agricultural officer growing traditional variety of bananas and traditional methods of growing bananas have affected the return on yields hence has resulted in acquiring tissue cultured circus for his farm.

This has in turn led to optimal economic gains from the crop.

As a result, he has over 300 stands of banana with an average of 5 suckers per stand. The sizes of the stalks are comparatively bigger than the ones planted via traditional method.

He has decided to adopt the tissue culture technology so as to increase his livelihood. Bananas grown using this method also takes many years before the suckers grow old.

In this new method, he explains, “we dig holes three feet wide by five feet deep and then plant the banana sucker almost covered inside the hole. This allows the banana to develop deep roots and produce more suckers. The hole also collects water and allows the banana to grow better than if it were planted normally on a shallow hole like it was traditionally done.’’ Notes Moochi.

He is also a member of other tissue culture banana groups in Kisii County where he has benefitted from a lot of trainings which increased their knowledge in banana management.

Empowerment  

Mr Moochi is one of the beneficiaries of the national agricultural and rural inclusive growth project (NARIGP).

The programme has made tremendous strides since it started, in empowering Kisii County residents in implementing various projects.

It seeks to support community driven development, strengthen producer organizations and increase agricultural productivity and profitability of targeted rural communities.

The projects are funded by the World Bank and are undertaken in 21 counties across Kenya.

Another farmer, Mr. Fred Omoke, a retired public servant, started banana farming in Kisii County about 15 years ago to supplement his family’s nutrition and diversify his sources of livelihood since he was not employed.

“I feared staying idle and banana farming has been a fulfilling journey,” he says.

“With the help of my family, I have been forced into selling my bananas directly to customers because the brokers exploit us,” he explains.

Though tedious and sometimes leads to perishing of his produce after failing to get buyers, he retails a bunch of bananas at Kshs. 100 and a whole banana for up to Kshs.700.

“Brokers would be paying me half of the price,” he says.

Intercropping

Banana farming can be intercropped with beetroots, beans, maize, sorghum, millet and cassava to suppress diseases and improves soil fertility. It can also be mixed with livestock and poultry rearing.

“Manure from animals and poultry is good for banana production besides conserving the environment since it is not chemical-based. Peels of the bananas, wastes, and leaves are nutritious animal feeds,” Omoke says.

In his farm, Moochi also practices mixed farming where he rears livestock and chicken.

Omoke says the manure from the livestock and chicken droppings is used in his farm since he practices organic farming.

European Union

Mr. Omoke is one among small-scale banana farmers in Kenya whose plight -lack of markets, post-harvest losses because bananas are highly perishable crops, extortion by brokers and climate change – made the Kisii County Government, in conjunction with the National Government and European Union (EU), to invest in a banana processing factory.

The EU granted the County Kshs. 110 million and the County Government chipped in Kshs.60 million to establish the factory within the Kisii Agriculture Training Centre.

“Hopefully it will create a sustainable market for us,” Mr Omoke says.

Banana factory

The factory, which will be operated by a private investor, has a capacity of processing 80 metric tons of raw materials per day.

The County had facilitated the registration of a banana farmers’ cooperative society with an initial membership of 2,250 farmers, 50 from each of the 45 wards.

A total of 78, 000 quality commercial banana suckers have been distributed to farmers for planting, while another 100,000 suckers will be issued soon.

The factory, which will serve Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Homa Bay, Narok, Bomet counties, will produce banana flour and wine.

The factory will boost income for banana value chain actors, contribute to job and wealth creation and improve lives in the country.

According to the county, the factory’s proposed private operator will sign a memorandum of understanding and lease agreement with the County with clear terms including banana pricing.

Nutrition value

Mr. Robinson Beta, the Gucha Sub-county Nutrition Officer, says a banana is a nutritious fruit, rich in carbohydrates, which occur mainly as starch in unripe ones and sugars in ripe ones.

Common sugar in ripe bananas are sucrose, fructose, and glucose and can reach more than 16 per cent of the fresh weight.

Challenges

Banana farmers grapple with many challenges.

Mr. Omoke says he only applies organic manure since it is cheaper and environmental friendly than chemical fertilizers. To meet his needs, he is forced to buy from neighbouring counties, increasing his production costs.“Bananas are prone to diseases and pests and it costs a lot to manage them,” he says.Land subdivision and over cultivation in the county means available land may not support banana production to meet the factory’s expected demand.

Advice

Mr Omoke advises budding banana farmers to learn about the crop before investing in it. Ms. Grace Nyanchama, a banana farmer, urges the youths to consider banana farming a viable source of employment.