BUJUMBURA October 2nd (ABP) – Banana crop is a strong contributor to the development of the country’s economy, as well as its by-products that generate both a source of food and income, Mr. Celestin Niyongere, head of the crop production program and researcher on banana crop at Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Burundi (ISABU), told a check by ABP during an interview he gave to her.
Mr. Niyongere explained that those by-products include juice varieties for the production of banana-based beverages such as liqueurs and beers. Other by-products of banana are such as ready-to-eat flour, fries and desserts of bananas that also generate income. Mr. Niyongere said that at the national level, banana crop produces more than 1,800,000 tons a year.
According to a 2009 survey, revenues of US $ 263.6 million were generated from banana crop. That economically important crop occupies more than 90% of the exploited areas.
The researcher also pointed out that it is a crop that has a large production compared to other crops. It is also has different uses by its components and different varieties. It’s really a crop of economic importance, he said. He subsequently meant that another aspect that must be considered at the economic level is the intermediaries that are in the banana production chain. He mentioned that the chain starts with banana producers who give job to the owners of the trucks carrying the banana wine. During that chain, taxes are collected at the local level and at the market level and all those taxes enter the public treasury.
It is also a crop that, at the level of the value chain, contributes to economic development wherever it is. Mr. Niyongere asks banana growers to plant different varieties reintroduced at ISABU, because it has been noted that classical varieties have been attacked by diseases and that depending on the ecological zone. He also urges banana growers to properly maintain plantations, in order to maximize production and profit economically.
