Meru County to create more wealth through banana export

The Meru County government is working on modalities to improve commercial banana farming with the aim of creating more employment.

The county also wants to sell banana products across the country and to foreign markets such as China.

Meru Governor Peter Munya said there is a need to create more wealth for the county out of the crop. It can also be used to tackle food insecurity and unemployment in the county, he said.

Mr Munya was speaking when he officially opened the Sh90 million Kanyakine open air market in South Imenti Sub-County on Wednesday.

“Our county government wants to ensure that banana farmers fetch better prices for their produce,” said Mr Munya.

He said plans by the county government in collaboration with the Meru County Chamber of Commerce to secure banana products market in China are progressing well.

The ambitious investment programme will see banana farmers sell their products directly to markets in China through the county government, a move that will help farmers at the grassroots level.

CHINA MARKET

“China is a stable market for the banana crop. We are looking at policies that will strengthen ties between our county and other counties and also at other viable market destinations to help our farmers fetch premium prices for their produce,” Mr Munya said.

He said the surplus produce of bananas was likely to expose farmers to brokers who then purchase the commodity from them at low prices.

The governor further emphasised on the need for value addition saying that the county would come up with strategies to ensure farmers sell branded banana products across the country.

Area county representative and deputy county speaker Gideon Kimathi who had accompanied the governor said the government should reduce import duty on machinery, fertiliser and packaging materials for banana value addition.

BARRIERS

Mr Kimathi said the high cost of equipment required for value-addition is one of the barriers to the intended value addition.

“The government should remove the duty imposed on some of the crucial farming equipment and fertiliser to cushion our farmers whenever prices are low since the banana crop contributes immensely to our county's economy,” said Mr Kimathi.

County executive in-charge of Tourism, Trade and Co-operatives Ntoitha M'Mithiaru said the county government will help members of rural self-help groups join savings and credit cooperative societies (saccos) to help alleviate poverty.

He said the county government will strive to ensure quality management as the savings and credit societies are part and parcel of Meru's economic backbone.