Banana export is currently growing in Cameroon. Last September, 20,471 tons of the fruit was exported according to figures made available by the Banana Association of Cameroon (ASSOBACAM).
This is happening as Kenya closes a deal on subsidized farm inputs. Nakuru County Government has endorsed a deal with One Acre Fund and Apollo Agriculture, intent on creating financing and providing subsidised farm inputs to over 4,000 small holder farmers within the unit.
The adeal between One Acre Fund, an American non-governmental organisation, Apollo Agriculture, a local agricultural financing company and Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration hopes to finance farmers who own between half an acre and three acres a category that is often neglected by banks.
One Acre Fund Government Relations Team Lead, Koome McCourt, told farmersreviewafrica.com that the beneficiaries will be receiving loans in form of farm inputs that will include seeds, fertilizer and insurance to help cushion them from negative effects of climate change.
According to McCourt, the organization has already provided Sh41 million worth of farm inputs to farmers in Nakuru County during the past nine months.
In the meantime, the Cameroon figure represents a 7,820 tons increase month-on-month. Year on year, the volume of bananas exported in September 2021 is up by 14% (2,532 tons).
Large shipments from Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP) contributed heavily to this growth. Indeed, this subsidiary of the French group Compagnie fruitière de Marseille exported 17,597 tons of banana in September 2021 (compared to 10,683 tons in August 2021), up 2,237 tons (+14.5%) from the 15,360 tons exported in the same period in 2020.
At the same time, state firm CDC, which is still struggling to recover from the ravages of the socio-political crisis in several regions of Cameroon since late 2016, exported 1,580 tons of banana in September 2021, after 1,139 tons a month earlier, and 1,312 tons in September 2020. As for market minnow Boh Plantations PLC, its exports rose from 1,267 tons in September 2020, to 1,294 tons a year later against 829 tons in August 2021.
