A Kenyan banana farmer transporting his produce. |
Banana farmers in Kenya often find themselves incurring huge
losses due to surplus fruit that basically ends up rotting away.
Smallholder farmers in remote areas face challenges in reaching markets
for their produce because of bad roads and a lack of information.
In a bid to reduce post-harvest losses, Eric Muthomi – a 26 year old
entrepreneur – started Stawi Foods and Fruits, an award winning
enterprise involved in the production of banana flour. The company works
with a team of banana farmers in the agricultural town of Meru in
central Kenya.
The idea to process raw bananas into flour was conceived in 2010
following Muthomi’s consultations with Kenya’s ministry of agriculture.
“I was looking for ways of providing a market for small-scale farmers
and increasing the shelf life of bananas, which would rot in farms,
especially those belonging to farmers who could not reach the collection
centres set up along the tarmac road on market days,” says Muthomi.
The company’s main product is banana flour made from processed green
bananas. The banana flour is gluten free, nutritious and can be used to
make baby food, porridge, mashed food, baked foods and soups.
Bananas are sourced from small-scale farmers in Meru and processed
using both manual labour and processing equipment to make the flour.
Muthomi works with a team of four full-time employees and 15 casual
workers.
“We are working with a group of 100 farmers. As we scale we will need
additional farmers to meet the demand for more raw materials. Farmers
benefit by earning more income. They also have a ready market for their
produce and do not have to incur additional costs of transportation to
Nairobi,” says Muthomi.
Traditionally banana farmers in Meru had to drop off their produce at
designated collection points for transport to Nairobi. Since farmers do
not have direct access to consumers they sell to middlemen at
throw-away prices. The perishable nature of bananas and logistical
challenges give middlemen the bargaining power over farmers.
Stawi banana flour is distributed in major supermarkets like Nakumatt, Uchumi and Chandarana across the country.
Some of the challenges Muthomi has faced have been accessing start-up
capital, lengthy licensing procedures, and complying with the many
regulations that businesses dealing with food have to adhere to. The
company also has to invest heavily in marketing and raise awareness
about the benefits of banana flour given that most consumers are used to
maize and wheat flour.
“Banana flour can play an important role in providing nutrition to
consumers and solving the malnutrition problem in marginalised areas.
Bananas are rich in nutrients, which are absent in conventional flours
such as maize and wheat flour. This means that banana flour is a good
source of nutrition to consumers ranging from infants to adults,”
explains Muthomi.
Stawi Foods and Fruits has received three national awards for
innovation, value addition, employment creation and environmental
conservation.
Muthomi’s future plan is to begin exporting Stawi banana flour to the greater East African region.
“The food processing industry is critical in providing a market for
farm produce, creating employment and curbing rural-urban migration.
Value addition promotes the export of finished goods rather than raw
materials and earns the country more foreign exchange,” says Muthomi.
Source: How We Made It in Africa
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