Making the Most of Banana January 2009
Bananas create jobs
Research Officer, Banana Grower and Market Traders
Summary:
On a mission to discover how bananas have changed lives on the Kenyan coast, Pius Sawa visits a research station, a large-scale banana farm, and a bustling banana market. Talking to scientists, farmers and traders, he learns of the crucial role that bananas have in the local economy, and of the personal benefits that being in the banana business can offer.
Suggested introduction:
A crop that has been cultivated for more than 7,000 years is now being realised as an important cash crop, especially in Africa.
To find out how banana farming can provide employment for local people, Pius Sawa went in search of banana jobs at Khosla Farm limited, a large-scale banana farm, and Kongowea, the largest banana market in the Kenyan Coast province. But first he spoke to Finyange Pole of the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, who described a policy of the Kenyan government to promote banana cultivation among smallscale farmers.
Tape in:
The government is giving farmers some...
Tape out:
...way we have to get life still to continue.
Closing Announcement:
Emmanuel Dungu ending that report on how bananas are creating jobs in Kenya. The report was compiled by Pius Sawa.
Making the most of it:
Investigate the banana trade in your town or city.
Talk to traders about who grows and sells and what jobs there are.
Further information:
Finyange Pole,
KARI - Mtwapa,
PO Box 16, Mtwapa 80109,
Tel: 254 41 5485842,
Fax: 254 41 5486207,
Email: karimtw@kari.org
Transcript
Pole
The government is giving farmers some grants. They come in a group, like a group of 20. They register with the social services and then they write some proposals on what they want to do. And then they are given the initial amount of money for them to be able to plant one acre of bananas. They will be given some money to buy the fertilisers, the chemicals for control of pests and diseases, until they establish themselves.
Sawa
I'm right inside a very huge farm to know how banana growing has changed the livelihoods of people around this coast. I have a gentleman here and probably hope he is one of the workers in this farm.
Wetaba
My name is Peter Wetaba.
Sawa
For how long have you been here?
Wetaba
About seven years now. We are about 20, that's staff and about 150 labourers.
Wetaba
I'm 100 per cent sure.
Sawa
That's a very, very big number of people and all these are being employed by this farm?
Sawa
Now let's talk about these bananas, all these huge acres of bananas. Green, I can see green everywhere. How do you relate these to your life?
Wetaba
I like bananas because it gives me some experience, so after maybe retiring from here I can even go and plant, start my small farm there, on the outside.
Sawa
That is an interesting point because you are saying, you are working in bananas and this one will help you maybe when you reach that retirement age to also try to establish the same type of farming.
Sawa
Now for example how much are you earning in this place?
Wetaba
Surely it is not a low payment.
Sawa
And how are you using that money?
Wetaba
Yes, I have a family and if I budget properly it helps me.
Sawa
Yes it helps you, for example are you taking children to school?
Wetaba
Yes they are learning.
Sawa
So you have three children? So you are paying for them because you can earn from bananas?
Sawa
This is Kongowea market. I can see most of the people here are breaking bananas into small pieces and packing them into wooden trays. There's a hell of a lot of banana down here.
Erongo
My name, I am called Erasmus Erongo.
Sawa
And for how long have you been working in this business?
Erongo
For me I have worked here more than a year.
Sawa
How many young people are you in this market?
Erongo
We are more than 100, in fact.
Sawa
All more than 100, and it is banana which is making you be here?
Erongo
Of course it's the banana.
Sawa
How has banana business transformed you?
Erongo
You see you can say it has helped me a lot because you come here looking for a way forward that you see. By the end of the day you have something that you are going to feed yourself and feed your family if you have a family. And the little you will save, then it will annually make you grow. And after all when you are stable in yourself and have the capital, still you can manage yourself and start growing your career or maybe your certain other business.
Sawa
Thank you so much Erasmus. Could you also try to speak to me? Maybe give me your correct names.
Dungu
I'm Emmanuel Dungu.
Sawa
So Emmanuel, can you just paint me a picture of how bananas has helped you be what you are?
Dungu
Yeah, as, where I was born is Nyeri, then I came to Mombassa. I joined this industry, then I normally send some money to my family. They are feeding on this job. Also when I came here I met so many friends, we interacted. So in the best way we have to get life still to continue. End of track.
