Banana farmers in Embu have decried poor market for their products.
Kigangari banana farmers in Runyenjes Central said they have faced a challenge finding a better market and are incurring huge losses.
The farmers hosted the Chuka University plants science department on their mission to conduct a banana farming survey to push for action by the agriculture stakeholders.
Speaking during the event, department representative James Kirimi said banana farming in Kenya plays an important role in achieving food security.
He said the government should invest in farming to motivate farmers to engage further.
“Agriculture is one of the revenue-raising mainstreams in Kenya and the government should not neglect banana farming,” Kirimi said.
This comes as Kenya boasts over 400,000 smallholder banana farmers covering about 1.7 per cent of land available for cultivation.
Kirimi said they have surveyed Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu and the farmers have raised similar challenges of lack of market and climate change effect.
He said the level of banana production has increased over recent years but the market has been deteriorating.
“Farmers have engaged on banana farming as a cash crop compared to earlier when it was only considered as a food source. The government should ensure it provides a wider market,” he said.
“The banana ensures a continuous yield in a year and farmers should not incur losses as a result of the market shortage.”
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, banana fruit is among the most traded, produced and consumed globally.
The group chairman Gerald Gatua said the group has tried to ensure farmers find a better market for their products but it is all in vain.
He said they don’t have control over the banana market and this has subjected them to low returns despite the farmers working hard in their respective farms.
He said they have been selling one kilo of bananas at an average of Sh10 and this is very far from their projected amount of Sh40 per kilo.
“Banana market is our main problem. Kigangari self-help group has hard working banana farmers who are ready to make a living were it not for the market shortage goal,” Gatua said.
The group has started their banana processing project to curb the challenge.
“We are about to set up our banana processing facility to ensure we have added value to our products to improve our market value,” he said.
“Value addition is one of the most appreciated steps in such farming and that's why we have stepped our processing facility to widen our banana market.”
He said the farmers have been incurring losses due to market shortage. The group came up with the idea to ensure no farmer loses his bananas due to lack of market.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
