Namibia’s agricultural sector is set to make history by harvesting its first-ever locally-grown bananas in the months of June, July and August this year, which will mark a huge turnaround for the country’s import-dependent sector.

As it currently stands, Namibia imports close to 7 000 tonnes of bananas valued at over N$65 million annually from neighbouring South Africa, which supplies 100% of its own banana needs. 

Bananas remain the second most highly-consumed fruit in Namibia after apples. 

To cut down on the import bill and encourage local production, the country has redoubled efforts at its various banana trial projects, and a bumper harvest is set for this year. 

Tangeni Hangula, Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB)’s fruit development officer, shared with AgriToday that the country has made great inroads at trial projects in the Zambezi region and if all goes as planned, the sector would witness the harvesting of the country’s first locally-grown bananas.

“We are looking at a winter harvest. We started planting 2 222 seedlings, and the results at the project trial sites look very good. I can confidently say that this year, Namibia will produce its own bananas,” said Hangula. 

The seasoned agricultural specialist added that although a good harvest is expected, more work still needs to be done to create a stable and sustainable local banana industry. 

“More is being done, and more will still be done after the harvest, especially regarding the collection of accurate and reliable data for further use. It is through the collection of such data that we will be able to tell how viable it will be for local farmers to venture into banana production and how sustainable it will be for us as a country. But we are excited with the progress.”

In 2023, the NAB and the country’s leading agricultural solutions’ company AvaGro signed a transformative agreement that saw the two entities joining efforts to develop the country’s banana industry in areas of research and implementation.

The agreement saw seedlings being produced in a tissue culture laboratory and thereafter, field trials were conducted in the different production zones of Namibia that have favourable climates and soil before focus can be shifted to commercial production.

With promising results from the initial trial, the NAB and AvaGro have expanded the project by planting additional banana crops at the Etunda Green Scheme Irrigation Project in Ruacana. 

This strategic expansion aims to further explore the feasibility of large-scale commercial banana production in Namibia.

Although small-scale productions are taking place in the Zambezi and the two Kavango regions, as well as in north-central, Karst and central production zones, these are primarily just for farmers’ own consumption and hardly reach the local market.

Continental market 

In Africa, banana production has grown at an average of 3% when compared to other global markets. Uganda is the largest producer of bananas in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. 

Climate challenges remain a huge problem for most countries, as bananas are delicate plants that are easily affected by temperature fluctuations, which leads to low production and possibly the eventual death of the crop.

Climate change is, however, not the only threat to the banana crop, as diseases that have been spreading at an alarming rate are a danger too. 

-ohembapu@nepc.com.na