The African Centre for Supply's Director General, Dr. Obiora Madu, has emphasized the necessity for Nigeria to augment its exports of fresh or dried bananas and plantains. Despite the global banana market's estimated value of $140.84 billion in the current year, with expectations to rise to $146.56 billion by 2029, Nigeria's exports to the United Kingdom amounted to merely $45,000 last year, as per the United Nations COMTRADE database. The worldwide production of bananas reached around 135 million tonnes in 2022, underscoring the potential for growth in exports.
Dr. Madu critiqued the export performance of Nigeria's banana and plantain sector as underwhelming, especially when compared to countries like Cameroon. In contrast, Cameroon experienced a 15% increase in banana exports this August, reaching 16,105 tons, with the United Kingdom being a significant market. The G7 countries imported CFA42.9 billion worth of bananas from Cameroon in 2023, indicating the sector's substantial economic impact.
Challenges such as quality issues and inefficient cold chains have been identified as major obstacles hindering Nigeria's competitiveness in the fresh produce market. Dr. Madu advocated for improvements in quality and infrastructure to enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian bananas on the international stage. Furthermore, Dr. Victor Iyama of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional capacity to increase production for export, addressing challenges faced by farmers, and leveraging research and development for sustainable industry growth.
Angola stands as Africa's largest banana producer and the seventh-largest globally, with an annual production of 4.4 million tonnes. The 4th Global Conference of The World Banana Forum discussed critical challenges for banana producers, including climate change, high costs, and the spread of Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4). FAO Director-General QU Dongyu underscored the significance of bananas for food security, income generation, and job creation in developing countries, particularly benefiting smallholder farmers.
Source: The Nation