Investor launches wine made from Kisii bananas

Nandi Deputy Governor Dr Yulita Cheruiyot(left) and Vicky Green Farms Africa Limited Director Vicky Onderi during the launch of the banana wine. [Eric Abuga, Standard]

Muturi says the banana industry has great potential to boost the country's economy. "We had lost hope. The returns on banana farming could be huge, we should embrace it."

Nandi Deputy Governor Dr Yulita Cheruiyot says the Lake Region Economic Bloc member counties are focused on improving agricultural production through value addition and agro-processing to enhance farmers' earnings, create job opportunities, and also to promote competitiveness in emerging markets.

"In pursuit of the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda, the banana value chain has several products; manufacturers can have banana juice, flour, and fibre. One can have weaves and wigs from bananas. Let us diversify our manufacturing."

Vicky Green Farms had also invested Sh30 million in a tissue culture laboratory which is certified by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and able to produce clean planting material for the region.

"There has been an increasing demand for the tissue culture banana and orange-fleshed sweet potato now that the farmers and county governments understand the benefits of certified clean planting material," Ms Vicky explains.

Tissue culture (TC) is the cultivation of plant cells, tissues, or organs on specially formulated nutrient media. In Kenya, as in many parts of the tropical and subtropical developing world, bananas are a highly important food crop.