Developing Namibia’s banana industry
In 2022 alone, Namibia imported 6 394 tonnes of bananas, valued at N$57 million.The Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) and AvaGro have now joined forces, officially sealing a transformative agreement at the AvaGro Farm in Swakopmund to develop Namibia’s banana industry in areas of research and development.
A memorandum of understanding was signed on 20 October.
According to the NAB, despite being the second most highly consumed fruit in Namibia, after apples, the country still imports 100% of its bananas, predominantly from South Africa.
“While small-scale productions are currently taking place in the Zambezi and Kavango regions, as well as north-central, Karst and central production zones of Namibia, these are primarily for own consumption,” it said.
Main challenge
The NAB said this agreement will therefore address the main challenge hindering banana production in the country, which is access to high-quality and disease-free banana seedlings that not only have better yield and taste, but are also adaptable to Namibia’s climatic conditions.
The seedlings will be produced in a tissue culture laboratory, and thereafter, field trials will be conducted in the production zones that have favourable climate and soil before being released for commercial production.
The NAB said this initiative will benefit both small and large-scale farmers located in the targeted production zones.