| How many times have you chosen to buy a banana during lunch hours that costs between 5 to 10 shillings instead of buying fries? You are not alone-workers in most cities and towns in Kenya buy bananas at lunchtime to save on cost of buying fast foods or to avoid fast food for health reasons. 
This peculiar habit of Kenyans has propelled banana to be the most popular fruit in the country and opened avenues for farmers to profit big. A research conducted in 2008 indicated that 60 percent of stalls in fresh market centers, villages and towns selling fresh produce stock bananas. We can conclude that farmers who venture into banana farming are likely to earn more compared to other fruit farming since banana production is year round. KENYA’S PRODUCTIVITY OF BANANAS It is estimated that the country produces over 1 million tones of the crop valued at 7 billion shillings. Unfortunately, over 40% of production the countries production is lost due to poor harvesting and handling techniques, inadequate market banana market and due to fungal diseases like panama and pests like banana weevil. These diseases and pests make the harvested crop to be of poor quality thus diminishing the returns to farmers. Because of the aforesaid reasons, we country is losing its local market to imports from Uganda, a country that produces 10 million tones valued at 1.7 billion dollars of fruit making it the second largest producer of bananas in the world after India. The average yield per hectare of banana in Kenya has been established to be 15 tones. AREAS IN KENYA WHERE BANANAS ARE GROWN The Abagusii community found in Kisii County are famed producers of the crop. It’s often joked that they can eat ugali with [a meal made from maize flour] ripe bananas instead of vegetables. Bananas are also produced in Meru, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, and Maragua, Mbooni under irrigation. The average weight of one bunch of bananas is 15-20 kg which fetches 200-300 shillings at the farm gate. TYPE BANANAS PREFERRED BY CUSTOMERS There are many banana varieties, that can classified in two distinct groups according to the way they are consumed: those suitable for cooking and those suitable for ripening. Ripened bananas are more popular of the two; a fact attributed to the hectic Kenyan life, their affordability and the fact that a ripe banana is ready to eat. Customers look for uniformly ripened bananas that are yellow in color and do not have black patches caused by rough handling during harvesting. In most fast food outlets the cost of one plate of chips is between 60 to 200 shillings on the other hand, a single banana will cost between 5 to 10 shillings and 3 of them are sufficient to cool hunger pangs. Ripened bananas are preferred because they give the body immediate energy supply because they have sufficient amounts of sugar and glucose. OTHER USES OF BANANA PLANT Besides yielding of banana fruit, pseudo stems of the banana plant are used in the production of fiber and as a reliable source of forage feed for many livestock farmers. Banana beer is brewed in Rwanda is called Rugwanda it is served warm and tastes as if it’s sprinkled with charcoal. Guys there actually have it for lunch. PESTS AFFECTING BANANA PLANT Nematodes are the most damaging pest causing over 70% loss of the crop. Control is by nematicides e.g. carbofuran but it is becoming infective at the recommended lethal doses. Treating the soil with farmyard manure, poultry manure and extracts from tagetes minuta have the same capabilities of controlling nematodes like carbofuran. They are thus preferred since Nematicides damage the environment WHERE TO FIND SUITABLE DISEASE FREE SUCKERS Tissue culture banana seedlings are available at Jomo Kenyatta University of agriculture and technology in Juja and at the National Horticulture Research Centre, Thika or the nearest Kari research centre. WHY GROWING BANANAS IN A GREENHOUSE IS NOT PRACTICAL The cost of constructing One hectare of greenhouse is estimated to be $100,000-$200,000 meaning only high value crops are suitable for greenhouse production. When we consider the production and value of one hectare of bananas; one hectare yields 14-20 tones of bananas valued at $ 3,220 to $ 4600 after waiting for 2-3 years! Secondly the surface area occupied by one stool of banana plant that consists of the mother [the crop bearing bunch] the daughter and the child is about 4M2. This limits the number of plants that can be grown bin the greenhouse thus lowers the number of bunches that can be harvested. This is disadvantageous for those who sell to the market in form of bunches. Finally a banana plant can grow to a height of 8 meters. This means if several of them are grown in a greenhouse they can outgrow the greenhouse and probably destroy it. RIPENING BANANAS There are three ways to do so 1. Natural ripening Unripe, green, fully mature bananas are placed together with avocadoes or ripening passion fruit in an air tight paper bag. During ripening there is the production and accumulation of ethylene gas that hastens ripening. 2. Ethylene generators Artificial ethylene generators produce ethylene that induces the ripening of bananas for industrial scale bananas. Disadvantage of artificially ripened bananas is they lack the characteristic flavor and aroma of naturally ripened fruit. 3. Dipping bananas in water containing carbide It has been said that when bananas are dipped in water containing carbide their ripening is enhanced. However it said that industrial grade carbide may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorus hence the use of calcium carbide in most countries is illegal. BANANA PROCESSING COMPANIES IN KENYA Stawi foods and Fruits Company enters into contracts with organized farmer groups where they buy bananas from them. They process them into banana flour and package them ready for the market. Processed banana is packaged as Stawi Natural Banana Flour and is commonly used to make baby food pasta, food fortification and pizza base. Banana plant can yield up to 14 tones per hectare. NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF BANANAS They contain potassium, an electrolyte that helps to maintain the body’s fluid balance, keep muscles from cramping and prevent high blood pressure. One banana is enough to replace what is lost during one or two hours of hard exercise. One banana contains approximately 9 grams of fiber which is a third of our daily requirement. DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFLORESCENCE INTO A BANA NA BUNCH A banana plant takes one to two years to attain maturity. The maturity stage is characterized by the production of an inflorescence that later develops into a banana bunch containing several fingers that grow into bananas. The size of the inflorescence determines the final size of a banana bunch and bananas. For banana plants to produce bigger inflorescences the soil should be supplied with sufficient manure, be well draining and The plant should be should be free of pests like banana weevil, thrips and diseases. For instance the above plant will produce a small banana bunch and small bananas when fully mature because the inflorescence is small that is 40 cm long. For the plant to develop a big bunch the inflorescence should be about 60-70 cm long. Once the inflorescence is produced, bananas will be formed in 3 to 5 months.
Pruning of avocado fruit trees is one of the most undervalued farm operations among small-scale African farmers. Pruning is essential as it makes a difference in the value of the fruits produced by the farmer hence more income.
Well maintained and pruned trees produce fruits with higher amounts of avocado oil; trees are less susceptible to diseases and produce healthy fruits.
When you don't prune avocado fruit trees, they grow very tall thus ruling out spraying pesticides and fungicides on them using cheap and simple equipment for example knapsack sprayers.
During pruning, we create an excellent avocado tree architecture that enhances a proper spray distribution and penetration; the maintain the avocado tree at a maximum height of 5.5 meters.
4 Reasons Why We Prune Avocado Trees
1. To get better light penetration into the tree
Pruning of avocado trees allows us to expose a large percentage of the tree's foliage to sunlight thus making the leaves more efficient in the production of food for the development of fruits.
If branches crowd together, humidity within the canopy of the tree increases--a condition that diseases.
High humidity around the flowers provides suitable conditions for fungal spores to penetrate developing fruits; thus pruning serves to reduce the moisture while increasing light inside the tree canopy.
2. Control size and vigor
Avocado trees become tall and dangerous if structural pruning is not carried out.
Varieties such as Fuerte can reach a height of 10 meters which makes harvesting hard and hazardous. Pruning, therefore, helps to make the tree of a manageable height.
3. Maintain yield and quality
The market prefers bigger fruits, but when a tree bears an unusually high number of developing fruits, they tend to be smaller.
To discourage the production of many small avocado fruits, we remove some of the developing fruits (thinning out)--a practice will tend to produce heavier avocadoes.
4. Bring neglected Avocado trees back into condition
Pruning stimulates the growth of new shoots and rejuvenates old trees.
TYPES OF PRUNING
2. When the tree is fruiting, we carry out Renewal pruning. Its purpose is to remove weak or dead material and control or encourage vigor.
If the tree is growing too tall, the strong vertical growth is cut or headed back.
3. Thinning out is involves the removal of excess fruits when the tree has very many of them. Thining out discourages biennial bearing which is a tendency for some trees to produce bumper harvests one year and poor ones the next.
WHEN TO PRUNE AN AVOCADO TREE
1. During transplanting the first pruning takes place at this stage. We trim any broken or very long roots so that they can fit into the planting hole.
2. At the close of harvest and before flowering For mature plants, pruning is typically carried out at this stage. Excess branches are removed to open up the tree to air and light.
Grafted avocado plants sometimes produce suckers. Removing these suckers is a part of pruning. Suckers are those shoots that emerge from the rootstalk that have the potential to grow into new plants.
When suckers are left to grow, they will compete with the tree for nutrients and eventually reduce the yields of the main tree.
3. When the tree has produces very many fruits we remove some of them to encourage the remaining ones to grow bigger.
This process of removing some fruits is known as thinning out; a process that discourages biennial bearing.
A guide is correct tree height is to prune, so that canopy height becomes 70% of row width with triangular shape for the best light interception.
Precautions During Pruning of Avocado Trees
Any damaged or broken growth must be removed using a setaceous, a sharp panga or pruning saw.
To prevent the transfer of viral diseases from tree to tree, you once you finish pruning one tree, you must sterilize the pruning tools before you move to the next tree.
Sterilization of pruning tools is easy. All you have to do is It means dip the pruning-devices in a disinfectant of 20% household bleach solution between trees to prevent spreading of any sap–borne diseases such as viral infections or fungal problems like Phytophthora from an infected plant to healthy ones.
Related: Avocado seasons
Avocado Hass seedlings for sale
Contamination of fresh produce by Microbes can occur easily during harvesting. Contamination is commonly caused by field workers or by the physical environment of the produce. Environmental sources of contaminants include soil, water, air, hands, containers, etc. Preventing contamination of produce with pathogens is critical, since their presence increases the risk of illness for consumers and lowers food safety. Contamination of agricultural produce during harvest Some products like grapes and strawberries; are manually harvested, never cooled nor washed at harvest and packed in the field immediately after harvest. Packing in the field generates a condition where contamination can occur easily from soil, other solid contaminants and disease causing microbes from the hands of the packer. Since manual harvesting (the use of hands during harvest) is involved, there is a great deal of handling and contamination of the product is likely. Some farmers use water taken directly from rivers or holding ponds for washing produce whose safety is doubtful. When fruits and vegetables are immersed in such water containing pathogens, they can become contaminated. Others do not clean machines for use in harvesting and handling produce before and after use, a practice that allows residues from the previous harvest to contaminate the new harvest. Others handle containers and packing materials carelessly, allowing them to be full of dirt and other contaminants. How produce is contaminated during cooling Cooling methods using water and ice as the cooling media have the greatest potential for contamination of fruits and vegetables. It is crucial that ice used in cooling is produced from chlorinated, potable water and stored in a hygienic manner. Water and ice used for cooling systems should be free of bacterial contamination. Practices that minimize contamination of agricultural produce Add an approved disinfectant to keep water free from micro-organisms. These include disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite or liquid chlorine. Good hygienic practices should be followed in handling containers and packing materials to prevent product contamination. It is important to place a water settling and filtration device in the cooling-water treatment system to remove organic material. Cooling water should be replaced regularly (at least once a day, depending on the amount used and condition of the produce). Sick people should not be allowed to work in the farm especially during harvest as some diseases like typhoid among others are spread though contact.
If you visit Wakulima, Korokocho or any other market in Kenya, you will see Lorries loaded with hundreds if not, thousands of fruits or vegetables.
If not, hardworking women-trying to eke a living will be seated in the hot sun; their produce placed on gunny-bags lined on the ground, just next to them is slurry from yesterdays’ rain.
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As the fruits or vegetables are piled on each other in the Lorries cabins, they bruise each other, those at the bottom squashed.
To crown it all, two or more brokers are sitting on them as they haggle with customers.
By the end of a single day, 10% of the produce will go bad. If it takes 3 days to sell all the produce, over 30% of the produce is destroyed.
Let’s get back to the women. If some of the produce they were selling remained at the end of the day, can’t be sold the following day as the sun will have wilted it.
It has been observed; over 40% of agricultural produce is destroyed at the post harvest stage.
This loss would have led to higher incomes and changed the fortunes of farmers and those product supply chain.
At times a total loss can occur if the produce is highly perishable; for example vegetables and fruits.
We must understand that seeds, vegetable or fruits are living commodities that continue to respire long after they have been detached from the mother plant.
Seeds respire slowly therefore can handle rough treatment and still be viable years later.
This is not the case for vegetables and fruits for they respire and deteriorate very fast after suffering wounds from rough treatment.
Who is the loser at the end of the day? – The farmer. The broker would have made their cut, the city council theirs- the farmer crying all the way to his wife!
When Kenyans are selling produce to the international markets, it is well packaged, handled and inspected by our best graduates who work for KEPHIS [Kenya plant health inspectorate service]
What happens when we want to sell produce locally? Nobody cares! - The produce is loaded and ferried in a dirty pickup that probably ferried a corpse the other day.
When the produce gets to the market who handles it? Your guess is right- it is that ‘fella’ who is water phobic.
The last time he had a shower was when he was rained on as he was caring a 100 kilo sack of potatoes.
The logic behind this article is- you can earn more if you mind how you handle produce as you will reduce wastes due to rotting.
Have a careful day! Will you?
During harvest time, the temperature of harvested produce is almost the same as ambient temperature.
Sometimes it can be high as 400 degrees depending on the surrounding environment.
If temperatures are high, the respiration rate of the produce increases consequently increasing the evolution of ethylene, a gas responsible for ripening and senescence.
The objective cooling of produce is to slow down the rate of respiration thus prolong its shelf life.
PRE-COOLING
Pre-cooling is the rapid lowering of the field heat from freshly harvested produce before a comprehensive cooling regime is undertaken so as to maintain its quality.
Methods of pre-cooling vary from plant produce to produce. For example when cut flowers like roses are harvested, they are dipped in a bucket containing water mixed with a fungicide before being taken to a cold room.
Conversely tea is kept under a shed or in a cool place after harvest as the application of water to it, will reduce its storage life and encourage rotting.
Other produce like grapes should not be immersed in water as this will remove the natural wax layer on the fruit.
The natural wax is important in enhancing long storage life; furthermore it is a quality requirement of the market.
For most crops, storing them where cool air is circulating, under a shed, is sufficient to remove field heat.
Precautions to consider during cooling agricultural produce
Inappropriate cooling temperatures or methods may subject produce to abnormal ripening or chilling injury.
Abnormal ripening is mostly observed in fruits. They either ripen very fast or fail to do so when exposed to room temperature.
During cooling, a high relative humidity is maintained to prevent an excessive loss of water.
Such loss may result to wilting, shriveling, flaccidness or loss of nutritional value of produce.
Ethylene is an important gas produced naturally in fruits and vegetables as it promotes ripening.
However, during storage it should be absent or present in minute amounts; ripening is desired after the produce has reached the customer.
To prevent its production during storage, cooling must be done rapidly.
High ethylene producing commodities like fruits should not be stored together with low ethylene producing commodities like vegetables.
The produce must also be cooled at temperature which is above freezing point for temperate commodities or chilling point for tropical and subtropical commodities.
Chilling or freezing of produce affects the flavor of fruits its quality in terms of or will result to chilling injuries.
Unfortunately, these methods are not used by small scale farmers because they are at times at far flung areas away from power lines and the cost involved.
The quicker the temperature of the produce is lowered after harvest, the longer the storage life.
 My neighbor bought and installed a greenhouse about 1 year ago. He had high hopes that in a short while he would recoup his investment.
Greenhouses in Kenya have been touted as the panacea of increased farm profitability. This served to increase his resolve to own one; little did he know... After researching, he noted, during rainy seasons there was a critical shortage of tomatoes- prices would skyrocket to over Ksh 6000/= for a 70 kilogram crate. An ‘expert’ estimated that his greenhouse measuring 45 feet by 15 feet could yield 100 crates of tomatoes if, he planted Anna F 1 Hybrids. He salivated at the prospect of earning a turnover of 600,000/= within 5 months after investing Ksh 180,000/= in construction of the greenhouse and about Ksh 50,000/= on labor, seeds and agrochemicals. His experience proved contrary to his expectation, because he had a job that made him busy, he left his wife in-charge of the greenhouse. Despite the fact that his wife was determined to succeed, unfortunately, she had zero skills in pest identification, irrigation and fertility requirements and greenhouse management. Within 1 month of transplanting her plants were invaded by white flies and red spider mites and within weeks, everything had dried up! She planted tomatoes again and again, the same thing happened. By the time I arrived, the greenhouse was under Sukuma wiki[kale] for family consumption. They had lost over Ksh 80,000/= in seed, chemical and labor costs and were on the verge of selling the greenhouse. Exaggerated information:- Most of the information available on greenhouse production is inaccurate as it is being peddled by salesmen is whose motivation is, to make a quick sale or profit. The yield potential of greenhouses is exaggerated to appear attractive to the naive first time grower or inexperienced farmers. Some of these self appointed ‘experts’ do not have any hands on experience on greenhouse production! Their job is to set up greenhouses for farmers [which they do skillfully] after that, the farmer is left on his own, either to succeed or fail. The hard job for the farmer commences after he purchases the greenhouse. He has to; grow the correct crop, at the correct time, the correct way- to make profit. The reality is; the yield obtained from a greenhouse is directly proportional to the technical skills and its management by the owner. One needs to be experienced on use of irrigation, plant hormones, greenhouse grade fertilizers, pesticides, pest identification and control. For instance, crops grown in a greenhouse are sensitive to salinity. This means, the water used in irrigation, must be free from dissolved salts especially sodium chloride, as it has a damaging effect on crops. Secondly, most farmers do not realize incorrect usage of fertilizers in a greenhouse can render their greenhouses useless. Fertilizers tend to increase the level of salts in the soil or growth medium. They need to use fertilizers with a low salt index or periodically drench the soil. The other misconception is; plants grown in a greenhouse do not suffer pest attack. The fact is, a greenhouse is an enclosed environment where high warmth levels coupled with high humidity exist making favorable for pest growth compared to the open areas. An experienced farmer will continuously scout for pests and diseases and control them before they reach economic injury levels. They continually struggle with greenhouse pests like red spider mites, white flies, thrips and diseases like agro-bacterium, powdery mildew among others. To control these diseases and pests, they spend a great deal on agrochemicals. For them to make substantial profits they continuously device ways of minimizing pest problems. In conclusion, you should not be afraid of this investment, for it richly rewards for those who are ready to learn and persevere. It is in a greenhouse that technology can be used in previously unimaginable ways. At a click of a button, you can irrigate crops, increase or reduce greenhouse temperature, irrigate plants and a myriad of other operations conducted. Do not be afraid to consult experts. I believe there are those who are motivated by the success of small start-ups and are ready to offer free advice.
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