A major pan-African conference is to be held in Kenya next month, to discuss ways to bring value back into banana and plantain production.

The Banana and Plantain in Africa Conference, in Mombassa from October 5-9, will see growers, scientists, entrepreneurs and policy makers from around the world launch a 10-year effort to transform what has become largely a subsistence crop into a major cash earner for millions of Africa’s rural poor.

The event is a first attempt to create stronger global and local market links in the region for a crop valued at US$1.7 billion (£916 million) in East Africa alone.

It has been jointly organised by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with Biodiversity International, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI).

Researchers will present results from a number of studies that point to numerous opportunities in fields, labs and markets for substantially boosting the production and earning power of both crops. The conference will concentrate on banana markets and trade, production and technical innovation, with the goal of producing a tangible 10-year strategy to move the category forward.

Conference speakers are expected to say Africa’s bananas and plantains could double or even triple their value, largely through improved banana processing. A diverse basket of products is derived from the banana crop, including beer, wine, juice, sauce, mats, handbags, envelopes, postcards, flour, soap and breakfast cereals.

Yet, as a result of low investment in processing and market development, most income from bananas still comes from the sale of perishable fruit for immediate consumption.

The conference will also seek new insights into the fight against numerous diseases and pests, enhancing nutritional quality and raising production through new banana hybrids and crop management techniques.

This will include a discussion of the role of biotechnology in the overall push to improve banana production in Africa. It will further consider bananas as an effective hedge against food crises and price shocks in Africa.

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