Description
Banana fruit is the leading horticultural crop by value and volume and it is the most important fruit grown in Kenya accounting for 17.8% of the total value of domestic horticulture and 34.5 percent of all fruits. It is mainly grown as a source of staple food and also as an income generating enterprise mostly by small scale farmers. In recent past banana production has gained popularity where in 2020, the area under production increased by 1% from 2019 (71,901 ha to 72,486 ha) while production volume increased by 24% (1,512,013 tons in 2019 to 1,871,521 tons in 2020. Consequently the value increased by 18% from KES 24.6billion to KES 9.02billion in 2020. During the same year leading counties in terms of production value were Meru, Taita Taveta, Murang’a, Kirinyaga and Kisii accounting for 23.6, 9.7, 7.93, 7.83 and 5.4 percent of the total value respectively.
The main banana varieties grown in Kenya include the ripening (dessert) cultivars such as Gross Mitchel, Apple, Giant Cavendish, Dwarf Cavendish, and Williams’s hybrid, Grand Nain, Vallery, Lacatan and Ugandan Red amongst others. The cooking varieties include Ng'ombe, Ugandan green, Mutahato and Nusu ngombe while the plantain cultivars are bokoboko, Gikono, Munjuu, and Mkono wa tembo. Banana fruit is considered an important source of nutritious diet since it has high levels of vitamins and mineral especially potassium. It is a great source of dietary fiber and energy. Banana is processed into various into various products such as flour, wine and other recipes such bakery products.
Implementing Institutions
- KALRO
- County Governments
- Farmers
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
- Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives
Master Trainers
- Charity Gathambiri (MSc) -Postharvest technology , Value Chain Leader, KALRO-HRI
- Cecilia Ngugi (PhD) - Crop health, KALRO-HRI
- Johnson Nyasani (PhD) - Plant Entomologist, KALRO-Kisii
- Eliud Gatambia (MSc) - Agronomist, KALRO -Sericulture
- Dr. John Ndungu (PhD) - Agricultural Economist (Marketing), KALRO-HRI
- Winnie Nyonge (PhD) - Food Science and Nutrition, JKUAT
- Antony Nyaga (BSc) - Seed System , KALRO-Seed