Local banana industry set for development following inking of agreement
The Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) and AvaGro joined hands in signing a pivotal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week at the AvaGro Farm in Swakopmund.
This landmark agreement is set to propel Namibia’s banana industry forward, focusing on critical aspects of research and development.
The Board said the MoU will 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 thereafter, field trials will be conducted in the different production zones of Namibia that have favourable climate and soil, before being released for commercial production. This initiative will benefit both small and large-scale farmers located in the targeted production zones,” they added.
According to the board, despite being the second most highly consumed fruit in Namibia, after apples, Namibia still imports 100% of bananas, predominantly from South Africa.
“While small-scale productions are currently taking place in the Zambezi, Kavango, North Central, //Kharas and Central production zones of Namibia, which are primarily for own consumption. In 2022 alone, Namibia imported 6 394 tonnes of bananas, valued at N$57 million,” they concluded.
