- AFA says the value of bananas increased from Sh26.96 billion in 2021 to Sh27.45 billion in 2022.
- However, there was depressed farm gate prices in the main growing areas of Meru Murang’a and Taita Taveta counties.
Image: IRUNGU MWANGI
Image: SOLOMON MUINGI
Bananas are the world’s most exported fresh fruits but the industry is struggling with climate crisis, rising costs, falling consumer purchasing power and a destructive fungus.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has indicated that banana producers have been impacted by rising costs for key inputs such as fertiliser and fuel, and that purchasing power of consumers in many countries has been eroded by inflation.
FAO revealed that bananas are the world’s most exported fresh fruits with the global trade worth over Sh1.4 trillion ($10 billion) annually.
In Kenya, banana crop is extensively cultivated as a staple food in the main growing areas of Meru, Murang’a and Taita Taveta counties.
According to the Agriculture and Food Authority, area under banana increased from 68,032 hectares in 2021 to 71,800 hectares in 2022, a 5.5 per cent increase.
Banana production jumped up from 1,984,282 tonnes in 2021 to 2,052,606 tonnes in 2022, a 3.4 per cent increase that was attributed to increased area under production.
AFA 2023 year book of statistics indicated that the value increased by two per cent from Sh26.96 billion in 2021 to Sh27.45 billion in 2022.
FAO Senior Economist Pascal Liu said the export volume of the fruit, which is nutritious, easy to transport and not fiddly to peel, has seen a massive growth over the last three decades.
“But high levels of investment have led to a surplus in global production. This, coupled with concentration in the retail sector, increasingly dominated by the big supermarket chains exerting heavy pressure to reduce prices, has contributed to an imbalance of power between large buyers of bananas on the one hand and the producers on the other,” Liu said.
The problem has been compounded by the Fusarium wilt fungus which has been a major challenge for banana exporters.
The destructive fungus has spread over the past decades from Asia and the Pacific, westwards towards central Asia, and eastern Africa.
“Once fusarium wilt is in the plantation, you cannot get rid of it, there is no control method, you basically need to burn down the plantation and move production somewhere else,” Liu said.
The fungus affects many varieties including Cavendish bananas, which provide around half of global banana supply and almost all of the bananas exported.
Fusarium wilt is a destructive disease of bananas which threatens global production.
“It is a soil-borne fungus that infects bananas through their roots. It moves relatively slowly in the soil but can be moved long distances in infected planting material, irrigation and runoff water and in soil attached to machinery or footwear. Importantly, it can remain in soil for decades even in the absence of bananas,” Liu said.
This comes as the 4th Global Conference of the World Banana Forum takes place from March 12-13 in Rome.
The forum is focusing on bringing improvements in areas such as labour rights, gender equity, environmental impact, sustainable production and economic issues.
“We must move beyond the current understanding of economic sustainability into new socially and environmentally friendly or sensitive business model for example creating case studies in responsible purchasing practices," said Victor Prada, World Banana Forum secretary.
"While the cost and process of certification remains a challenge for many smaller producers, European and other countries have called for increasing regulations for the sector, and believe businesses should aim for higher standards, either mandatory or voluntary. We are going in the direction of mandatory,” Prada added.
The forum brings together retailers, importers, producers, exporters, consumer associations, governments, research institutions, trade unions, and civil society organisations.