Business Daily (BBC World Service)

Episode: Adding value to Ugandan bananas

Host: Zawadim Dibo
Date: March 5, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Zawadim Dibo explores the flourishing world of Uganda’s banana industry—far beyond the familiar fruit bowl. The discussion delves into innovative approaches to add value to Uganda’s banana crop, including transforming it into banana wine, fiber for textiles and wigs, and even exploring biofertilizer possibilities. The conversation features passionate Ugandan entrepreneurs, experts, and government perspectives, all focusing on how the banana can provide greater economic opportunities, support youth employment, and reshape perceptions of this staple crop.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Cultural and Economic Importance of Bananas in Uganda

• Bananas are integral to Ugandan life, with more than 12 million tons produced annually—making Uganda the world’s second-largest producer after India. (04:45)
• Bananas, particularly the green variety “matoke” (plantain), serve as:
  • A vital food security crop
  • A source of income for millions of farmers
  • A deep-rooted cultural symbol
• Current yield per hectare is 30 tonnes, versus a potential 60 tonnes, due to focus on subsistence rather than commercial production. (03:45)

Quote:

“The banana is woven into the very fabric of Ugandan culture.”
—Zawadim Dibo (02:45)

Challenges to Banana Farming and Sales

• The majority of bananas are produced for household consumption; only a small portion enter formal markets or are exported.
• Fluctuating weather, such as sun damage, can significantly impact output and farmer income. (05:27)

Quote:

“The sun some time ago spoilt my farm and there wasn’t matoke to sell. That means it takes me some good time before I can get some money.”
—Toyota Donozi, banana farmer (05:27)

Value Addition: From Wine to Textiles

Banana Wine Production

• Moses Musisi, owner of Native Beverages, transitioned from teaching to create a banana wine business, investing $160,000 in machinery.
• The winery sources bananas from over 200 farmers, empowering local producers by offering stable market access. (07:49–09:50)
• Bananas suitable for winemaking (“Mbide” variety) have suffered from pests and disease, posing further challenges.
• The process and tasting of banana wine is highlighted, underscoring the unique “fruity, smoky” flavor.

Quote:

“Our model rests around small scale farmers whom we buy from, empowering them by giving them market access to their bananas and turning these bananas into a very highly valued product.”
—Moses Musisi (07:49)

Memorable Moment:

“[Swirls wine]...I swirl all around the glass so that the bouquet, the aromas come up...Yeah, this is our typical red wine...typical wine flavor smell the aroma of our Heart of God brand. Cheers.”
—Moses Musisi (10:16)

Banana Fibers for Textiles and Beyond

• Kimani Muturi, founder of Texford, collects banana stems from a network of over 25 farmers, extracts fiber, and creates products like hair extensions and handwoven textiles. (12:15–15:42)
• Fiber extraction generates both dry biomass and a nutrient-rich sap, which is being studied as a potential biofertilizer.
• The extracted banana fibers are softened to cotton-level fineness, making them suitable for a range of textile applications, including export-quality wigs and medical wigs for chemotherapy patients.

Quote:

“I believe that the future of textiles is in banana stems...I want to look into a future where the farmers are harvesting the fruit, processing the stem and taking the fibers into a textile mill.”
—Kimani Muturi (01:34, 15:32)

Notable Details:

• Banana hair extensions are available in multiple colors, including natural and dyed (e.g., red, brown, blonde, purple). (14:28)
• Texford employs low-tech, handloom-based textile production, making it accessible for rural villagers without power.

Quote:

“There are those customers who want it in red. They are those who want it in brown...Purple...Yes. And they are those who want it in blonde. The natural color comes out beautiful.”
—Kimani Muturi (14:32–14:40)

Research and Biofertilizer Development

• Collaborative research is underway with Busitama University to analyze banana sap and develop it into packaged biofertilizer. (13:35)

Lessons from Abroad and the Need for Policy Support

• Dr. George William Biarugaba Bazirake (food biotechnologist, professor of entrepreneurship) compares Uganda’s efforts to India, which processes over 90 banana-derived products.
• Uganda, he says, could generate over 140 banana-based products, but faces “market challenges.”
• Dr. Bazirake recommends:
  • Promoting zonal farming and industries to create rural jobs
  • Finding both local and international markets for banana products
  • Reducing taxation on banana goods to encourage producers (16:01)

Quote:

“We are finding that Uganda will have over 140 different products that can come from bananas, although the market is still a challenge.”
—Dr. George William Biarugaba Bazirake (16:01)

The Tax Burden and Barriers to Growth

• High local excise taxes (about one-third the retail price) on products like banana wine place a significant burden on local manufacturers. (17:08)
• The program attempted to get government response about lowering these taxes but did not receive comment.

The Youth and the Future: Skills and Innovation

• Both Muturi and Musisi advocate for encouraging student entrepreneurship and linking academic research to commercial potential.
• There’s a strong push for government support, especially through skills training and reduced regulatory barriers, to enable further growth and the pursuit of export opportunities.

Quotes:

“Whenever they are doing researches, let them do research of things they can commercialize, not things that can just give them grades.”
—Kimani Muturi (17:55)

“We think there’s a huge, huge opportunity here. If government comes in in terms of skilling the different people in wine making, then we can fill up our supermarkets with our wines. We can go into export markets in East Africa...even other areas of Europe. I think it would be a unique proposition other than grape wine.”
—Moses Musisi (18:15)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Farmers' resilience and need for innovation:
  “My garden looks good. It will get better when I get some chemicals to spray the grass. Use a hoe and hands. It is fine now. Now, we sell matoke. We eat. We also eat the yellow bananas. We have a lot of big yellow bananas. We fill up the cars. We are well.”
  —Toyota Donozi (04:40)

• Product Demonstrations:
  “This room has 12 handlooms and we have 12 people who work here...We have developed a technology of softening banana fiber to the level of cotton.”
  —Kimani Muturi (15:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:09 — Introduction to episode's theme and Uganda’s banana landscape
• 03:45 — Uganda's banana output and cultural relevance
• 04:40 — On-the-ground perspective from Toyota Donozi, banana farmer
• 07:49 — Moses Musisi describes banana wine business model and local impact
• 10:16 — Wine production/tasting process at Native Beverages
• 12:15 — Bananas as resource for fiber and bioproducts; Kimani Muturi’s Texford story
• 13:35 — Research on banana sap for biofertilizer
• 15:32 — Textile production details and technology
• 16:01 — Prof. Bazirake on India’s banana products and policy recommendations
• 17:08 — Taxation challenges for banana wine producers
• 17:55 — Calls for greater student entrepreneurship
• 18:15 — Hopes for further support, skills development, and export ambitions

Conclusion

This episode paints an optimistic yet critical picture of Uganda’s banana sector—a transformative driver for food security, rural industry, innovation, and exports. Entrepreneurs like Moses Musisi and Kimani Muturi demonstrate the wide-ranging opportunities for adding value to bananas, while experts stress the need for better support, lower taxes, and more entrepreneurial mindsets among the youth. The banana, far more than a fruit, emerges as a cornerstone for Uganda’s future economic and social development.