Hundreds of banana farmers in Taita Taveta county are set to expand their market and increase their profits following the operationalisation of a new banana ripening chamber in Voi.
The modern chambers will not only reduce post-harvest losses but also promote the local market for bananas.
The farmers, through the Taita Taveta Banana Farmers’ Cooperative (Tataba) on Monday sold their maiden batch of 4.5 tons of banana ripened at the chambers.
County Agriculture Executive Erickson Kyongo said farmers are expected to win big since the new system will eliminate brokers and middlemen who have been buying unripe fruits at the farm.
“Existence of brokers and middlemen has been a thorny issue bedevilling the banana value chain. The new centre however comes as a solution since all the buyers will get the products at one point,” Kyongo said while inspecting the ripening chambers.
He said retailers and consumers will now have convenient access to ripened bananas from the centre, eliminating the need to travel to Taveta in search of the same.
The executive emphasised that this step is crucial for strengthening the banana supply chain in the county.
The twin ripening chambers were installed through support from the county government, the Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme II (ASDSP II) and Tataba.
He said the department is seeking partnership with investors to complete and operationalise the stalled multi-million shilling Banana Processing Plant in Taveta.
“Plans to establish structures for enhanced value chains are underway. We are also seeking more partners to help complete and equip the stalled plant for value addition,” he said.
Kyongo said enhanced banana production will help boost food security and the economy of the region.
The region is the leading banana producer in the Coast region and serves as the region’s food basket, with farmers producing quality vegetables and fruits.
Further, the county is the second leading banana producer in the country after Meru county, according to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation.
More than 7,500 farmers in Taveta are engaged in commercial production of banana, and vegetables.
Kyongo said the county is projecting to achieve a 40 per cent banana cover per acre in the agricultural rich Taveta subcounty and reap big from increased production of the crop through value addition.
Farmers in the county, he said, have increased acreage under banana from 2,080 to 4,604 hectares, producing an estimated production of more than 75,000 tons annually.
Tataba secretary Beatrice Kimiri said the ripening chambers are a game-changer for farmers, further asking them to utilise the facility optimally.
Kimiri asked more farmers across the county to join the cooperative in order to completely weed out brokers.
She said members will have a higher bargaining power and access to the market.
The cooperative society has been taking a central role in sensitising farmers to join societies.
Compared to the traditional way of selling unripe bananas, Kimiri said famers are able to fetch more money by collectively selling their fruits at the centre.
They are targeting to supply bananas in not only Voi market but as far as Mombasa and Kilifi counties.
“Taveta bananas are known for their sweetness, high dietary fiber and nutrients. The market is wide and the demand is huge,” she said.
Some of the banana varieties planted in the region include grand nain, Fhia 17, William High breed and Giant Kavendish, among others.