Banana Board Encourages Value-Added Production

The Banana Board is encouraging stakeholders in the industry to pursue initiatives that will produce value-added goods and provide more significant returns on investment.

General Manager of the Banana Board Limited, Janet Conie, told JIS News that the company is actively pursuing ways to provide technical assistance to farmers to modernise agricultural techniques, increase yield, and create new products.

The Board is also targeting students in a move geared at implementing succession planning strategies to guarantee a vibrant agricultural industry for generations to come.

Mrs. Conie pointed out that as of 2000, Jamaican bananas no longer receive preferential treatment on the international market, and many farmers are encouraged to be innovative in marketing the fruit locally.

“Each farmer now has to extend the value chain.  The green fruit is at the bottom of this chain. We at the Banana Board teach them how to add value such as doing chips, and peeled green vacuum packed fruit,” she noted.

“The Banana Board’s officers will show you how to achieve up to 20 to 40 per cent sustainable return on your investment. After all, banana is one of the few crops, which after it starts producing, continues to provide fortnightly income for many years.  The Officers will also show you how to add value with bi-products manufacturing of chips etc,” she said.

She explains that one of the company’s areas of focus is to get more youth involved in agriculture, which is also a general thrust of the Ministry of Agriculture.

“The way to do it is to build relationships. Most of our farmers are over 55 (years old). Some of them have only had primary level education (so) part of our strategy is to achieve sustainable development,” Mrs. Conie says.

The Board has a strategic target to impact 800 students for the year. In fulfillment of this objective it engages students at the primary, high and tertiary levels.

Among the schools visited recently was the Spring Gardens All Age School in St. Catherine where students and teachers hosted an exposition to create awareness of possible uses of the banana plant and fruit.

Among the government agencies, which participated in the expo were the Jamaica Information Service and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority.

Addressing the students on the theme, ‘From Root to Shoot”’, Mrs. Conie congratulated the school for the innovative way in which it is creating awareness of the current trends in agriculture.  The school has also participated in study tours of the Board’s Applied and Breeding Banana Research Station in Old Harbour and other agricultural entities.

“Parents and guardians continue make the financial and emotional investments you. The Government of Jamaica and European Union make financial contributions to the Banana Board’s the banana research, development, extension and youth outreach programmes, which we are making available to you,” Mrs. Connie stated.