Banana (
Banana is one of the staple food crops for both rural and urban populations in Kenya, and it is predominantly grown by smallholder farmers. It is grown for both home consumption and the national market, and it has the potential to contribute to food and nutritional security, as well as a source of income for smallholder farmers [
Conventional and modern methods of propagation are used in the production of bananas in Kenya [
The ability of smallholder farmers to sell produce profitably in the staple food market has declined over the years due to the changes in both the formal and informal channels of traders, processors, and markets. The development of collective marketing strategies are necessary to help the farmer overcome high transaction costs and low market power that leave them at the mercy of middlemen [
Tissue culture (TC) offers the opportunity of producing large numbers of disease-free seedlings. The use of tissue culture technology in banana production is highly efficient, as it allows a timely large turnover of clean planting materials within a limited space [
The study was carried out in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties (Figure
Map of study regions in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties generated from GPS coordinates.
A household survey was conducted based on purposive sampling in households with 30 and above banana stalks. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire which was administered through face to face interviews with smallholder farmers in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties. A total of 90 farm households were identified, and primary data were collected. Thirty smallholder farms were from Kisii (Suneka), 30 from Nyamira County (Kemera), and 30 from Embu County (Kiangungi and Muganjuki). The questionnaires covered demographic information, information on banana production practices such as main cultivars grown, source of planting materials, as well as awareness of tissue culture technology and adoption. Purposive sampling conducted in which households had thirty and above banana stems in their farms were randomly sampled. Data obtained were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 computer software in which descriptive analyses were carried out. Microsoft Excel program was used to generate graphs. The sampling size of households was obtained using the Snedecor and Cochran formula [
Embu County’ household target population was 14,300, and the proportion of 363 smallholder farmers was used to determine the sample size.
Kisii County’ target household population was 13,405, and the proportion of 255 smallholder farmers was used to determine the sample size.
Nyamira County’ target household population was 15,307, and the proportion of 279 smallholder farmers was used to determine the sample size.
It was observed that majority of the respondents in the three counties were male with Embu, Kisii, and Nyamira counties recording 53.3%, 60%, and 63.3%, respectively (Table
Age distribution of respondents in Nyamira, Kisii, and Embu counties.
Variable | Nyamira | Kisii | Embu | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequency | Percentage | Frequency | Percentage | Frequency | Percentage | |
Age group | ||||||
18–35 (youth) | 5 | 16.5 | 9 | 29.7 | 5 | 16.5 |
36–45(middle age) | 7 | 23.1 | 11 | 36.3 | 7 | 23.1 |
46–60 | 16 | 52.8 | 8 | 26.4 | 15 | 50 |
60+ | 2 | 6.7 | 2 | 6.7 | 3 | 9.9 |
Gender | ||||||
Male | 17 | 56.7 | 16 | 53.3 | 18 | 53.3 |
Female | 13 | 43.3 | 14 | 46.7 | 12 | 46.7 |
Education level | ||||||
Primary | 5 | 16.7 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 16.7 |
Secondary | 16 | 53.3 | 15 | 50 | 16 | 53.3 |
Tertiary | 9 | 20 | 9 | 30 | 9 | 30 |
Occupation | ||||||
Farming | 15 | 66.7 | 14 | 46.7 | 15 | 50 |
Employed | 7 | 33.3 | 7 | 23.3 | 9 | 30 |
Business | 6 | 20 | 9 | 30 | 6 | 20 |
Land ownership | ||||||
Without title deed | 20 | 66.7 | 18 | 60 | 4 | 13.3 |
With title deed | 10 | 33.3 | 12 | 40 | 26 | 86.7 |
Labour source | ||||||
Family | 9 | 30 | 12 | 40 | 2 | 6.6 |
Hired | 15 | 50 | 11 | 36.7 | 14 | 46.7 |
Hired + family | 6 | 20 | 7 | 23.3 | 14 | 46.7 |
It was noted that the respondents from the three counties varied in age with Kisii recording the highest number of young (18–35) farmers representing about 29.7% of the respondents (while the highest number of middle aged (36–45) farmers was again recorded in Kisii (36.3%) and farmers aged up to 60 years, the highest number was recorded in Nyamira (52.8%) (Table
The age of household heads is an important variable which significantly influences farmers’ information access [
It was established that majority of the respondents had attained at least primary school level of education. Fifty percent of the respondents from Nyamira, Kisii, and Embu had attained a secondary school education, while those with tertiary school education were 30% of the respondents in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties (Table
The current study established that farming is the main occupation of more than 50% of the respondents. Percentages of respondents in employment were 23%, 20%, and 9% in Nyamira, Kisii, and Embu, respectively (Table
Hired labour was the primary source of labour for farming activities in Nyamira, which was embraced by 50% of respondents. In Embu and Kisii, hired labour was reported by 46.7% and 36.7% of respondents, respectively. Most smallholder farms across the globe are characterized by utilization of family labour as the principal labour source [
The size of land available for farming varied among farmers in the three counties with 83.3% of the farmers in Kisii and 76.7% of the farmers in Nyamira had less than an acre of farm land. However, 26.7% of the farmers in Embu County had more than two acres of farm land (Figure
Land size of farmers in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties.
Acreage allocated to cultivation varied between the counties. Majority of the farmers in Kisii (83.3%), Nyamira (76.7%), and Embu (36.7%) cultivated farmland with acreage 0.4 to more than 0.5 acres of their land (Figure
Mixed farming systems in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties.
Among the respondents in Nyamira County, 76.7% confirmed that they did not have title deeds of their respective farms which were closely followed by those at Kisii County (60%). Embu County on the other hand had a higher number (86.7%) of respondents who confirmed land ownership since they had title deeds (Table
It was observed that respondents for Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties grew at least 20 crop varieties that included cereals, legumes, fruits, cash crops, and a variety of vegetables (Figure
Crops grown by farmers in Embu, Kisii, and Nyamira counties.
Fruit farming is a major farming activity in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties with banana being the highest ranking fruit out of the five fruit varieties (Table
Yield index of fruits in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties.
Kisii, mean ± SE | Embu, mean ± SE | Nyamira, mean ± SE | |
---|---|---|---|
Banana | 5.80 ± 0.14 | 5.47 ± 0.21 | 4.23 ± 0.21 |
Pawpaw | 1.40 ± 0.09 | 1.20 ± 0.09 | 1.10 ± 0.07 |
Oranges | 1.10 ± 0.06 | 1.07 ± 0.07 | 1.00 ± 0.00 |
Avocados | 2.07 ± 0.16 | 1.83 ± 0.19 | 1.50 ± 0.18 |
Mangoes | 1.23 ± 0.08 | 1.10 ± 0.07 | 1.33 ± 0.15 |
It was observed that 86% and 93.3% of the respondents in Kisii and Nyamira counties, respectively, planted bananas on 0.2–0.5 acres. However, in Embu County, 40% of the respondents grew bananas on 0.5 acres and above. It was observed that 93.3%, 80%, and 80% of respondents in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties, respectively, harvest more than 20 bunches annually averaging 22–35 kg per bunch. From the study, it was observed that Kisii was leading in banana production (Table
Production volume of bananas in Kenya 2008–2018.
Embu County is among the leading banana producing Counties in Central Kenya. A 2019 CIDP report covering 2015–2017 of Embu County (Table
Embu crop production trend in 2015–2017.
Horticultural crop | 2015/2016 production | 2016/2017 production | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In Ha | In tons | In Ksh “000” | In Ha | In tons | In Kshs “000” | |
Mangoes | 3,185 | 112,640 | 1,689.6 | 3,185 | 112,711 | 1,691 |
Bananas | 3,712 | 200,250 | 2,254.75 | 3,593 | 162,450 | 5,581 |
Passion fruits | 30 | 500 | 29 | 25 | 300 | 37 |
Avocadoes | 529 | 8,808 | 145.68 | 529 | 10,200 | 428 |
Kales | 225 | 3,750 | 55 | 120 | 4,672 | 163 |
Tomatoes | 225 | 2,835 | 68.75 | 207 | 4,180 | 152.2 |
Carrots | 64 | 1,736 | 20.72 | 47 | 1,350 | 22.25 |
In western Kenya, Kisii and Nyamira are among the leading producers of bananas (Figure
Banana area and production in western Kenya by county.
A survey of the preferred banana cultivars in the three counties showed that in Kisii and Nyamira, the most preferred cultivar was Ng’ombe with 73.3% and 90% of the respondents, respectively, planting the cultivar (Figures
Local banana varieties in Kisii County.
Local banana varieties in Nyamira County.
Local banana varieties in Embu County.
The respondent’s preference of certain cultivars was based on the various characteristics that are outstanding. The Ng’ombe variety which was the most cultivated cultivar in Kisii and Nyamira counties was preferred by the respondents due to their good taste and its ease to sale. Some respondents in Kisii and Nyamira counties also indicated that the cultivar produces big bananas. In Embu County, the Israel cultivar was the most preferred, and respondents indicated that its preference is due to its good taste and ease to sale similar to Ng’ombe in Kisii and Nyamira. Farmer’s choice of cultivar is mostly determined by market demand and acceptability which is dictated by fruit characteristics [
Pests and diseases were ranked as the major challenge in banana production with Embu being the most affected with 73% of the respondents identifying pests and diseases as a major challenge (Figure
Pests and diseases as a challenge in banana farming.
Lack of planting materials as a challenge in banana farming.
Conventional banana farming involves using suckers as planting materials. Due to limited planting materials, most farmers are forced to use suckers from existing orchards. The percentages of respondents obtaining suckers from their own farms in Nyamira, Embu, and Kisii were 73.3%, 70%, and 66.7%, respectively. The rest of the respondents obtained the suckers from other commercial suppliers. The use of suckers from own farms may be a major contributing factor to pest and disease prevalence as this may provide a means of disease spread through the use of infected planting material [
Majority of the respondents in Embu (70%) and Nyamira (45%) indicated that they sell their bananas to their neighbours, while 60% of the respondents in Kisii indicated that they sell to neighbours and at the local trading centres. Limited market access has majorly been attributed to inability to transport the produce due to poor transport infrastructure. Bananas have a disadvantage compared to other cash crops because there are no commodity boards or farmer organizations that aids farmers in accessing their requirements and accessing the markets [
The study identified that no value addition process was carried out by the respondents in the three counties. This concurred with a study by Muthee et al. [
Knowledge of banana tissue culture technology was predominantly limited in which 60% of the respondents in Kisii, 66.7% in Nyamira, and 63% in Embu counties indicated that they did not know tissue-cultured (TC) bananas. Less than 35% of the respondents from the three counties indicated scanty knowledge on tissue culture technology. Embu County had the highest number of respondents (20%) (Figure
Tissue-cultured banana varieties grown in Embu County.
Tissue-cultured banana varieties grown in Kisii County.
Tissue-cultured banana varieties grown in Nyamira County.
Tissue culture technology has the potential to improve productivity in banana farming; however, there are significantly low rates of tissue culture technology adoption among the respondents. Relevant stakeholders have noted that the technology adoption will go a long way in solving many agricultural, economic, social, and environmental problems [
The low TC adoption rate in Kisii and Nyamira can be explained by the fact that banana production in high potential areas is carried out under poor management. This is because production is relatively good even under poor management practices; therefore, the need for tissue-cultured banana varieties may not be felt [
Access to agricultural services such as contact with extension officers/agents was considered as a factor that contributed to low productivity in the three regions. It was established that none of the respondents in Nyamira and Kisii counties had contact with extension officers. Embu County differed from the Nyamira and Kisii counties, in which 23.3% of the respondents had access to services offered by extension officers. Pearson’s correlation test revealed that there was a significant correlation at 0.01 level between access to agricultural services and whether or not the respondents had received farm management training. There was also a significant correlation between access to farm management training and knowledge on tissue-cultured banana technology (Table
Pearson’s correlation coefficient for tissue-cultured bananas farming parameters.
Gender | Banana acreage | Extension services | Farm management training | Knowledge of TC | TC farming | Duration of TC farming | Availability of TC seedlings | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | 1 | |||||||
Bananas acreage | 0.101 | 1 | ||||||
Agricultural services | 0.274 | 0.438 | 1 | |||||
Training | 0.223 | 0.434 | 0.479 | 1 | ||||
T.C knowledge | 0.290 | 0.431 | 0.313 | 0.602 | 1 | |||
TC farming | 0.397 | 0.449 | 0.398 | 0.515 | 0.824 | 1 | ||
Duration of T.C farming | 0.343 | 0.453 | 0.399 | 0.539 | 0.893 | 0.922 | 1 | |
Availability of T.C banana seedlings | 0.274 | 0.369 | 0.255 | 0.479 | 0.740 | 0.725 | 0.835 | 1 |
Lack of certified tissue-cultured banana seedling sources may be a major contributor to the low adoption rate of tissue culture technology, with only 11.1% of the respondents from the three counties indicating that they have a certified source for the seedlings. The significant correlation at 0.01 level of access farm management training and accessing TC banana seedling suggests that training has a vital role in information disseminating. Contact with extension officers has been reported to have a positive effect on the adoption of agriculture technology by farmers, and this is based on innovation diffusion theory [
Agricultural technology is an essential tool in helping farmers adapt to the changing climatic conditions [
The study revealed that banana farming is a common practice of smallholder farmers in Kisii, Nyamira, and Embu counties. Findings from the present study indicated that banana productivity is affected by key factors which have the potential to significantly lower their productivity in the study areas. The major factors include a limited supply of input ranging from planting materials, agrochemicals, as well as limited knowledge associated with good banana farming management practices. There is potential in enhancing banana production in the three counties; unfortunately, the knowledge gap among the residents and inaccessibility to important inputs in the three study areas is a hindrance. Although tissue culture is essential in increasing agricultural productivity and achieving sustainability in banana production, its adoption rates are very low, thus calling for a need to its promotion [
The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
The authors acknowledge the National Research Fund (NRF) for funding the research.