1. Gender and the Banana Value
Chain in Imenti South District
Advancing Agri-practice: Adding Value for Women
KARI HQTS 23-24 May 2011
Lydia Miriti, Maureen Miruka & Immaculate Maina
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute

2. Background
Banana (Musa spp) traditionally widely grown in
Kenya
Major food and cash crop- 90% farmers in HP
areas
All year food and income security
Holdings of 0.5 acres =83.5% production
Declining yields
Constraints: marketing, pests and diseases,
orchard management, planting material

3. Challenges in Banana Production

4. Gross margin of banana (1 acre of land)
Variable + Establishment costs Unit cost (KShs.) Total cost (KShs.)
Land preparations
Holing 444 holes 10.00 4,440.00
2 bags DAP × 50 Kg bags 2,500.00 5,000.00
Tissue Culture suckers 444 80.00 35,520.00
Manure 1.5 tons 1,500.00 2,250.00
Planting 444 suckers 5.00 2,220.00
Mocap 17 Kgs 1,000.00 17,000.00
Irrigation 12 man days 150.00 1,800.00
Weeding 15 Man days 150.00 2,250.00
Desuckering 24 man days 150.00 3,600.00
Harvesting 888 bunches 10.00 8,880.00
Transportation 888 bunches 20.00 17,760.00
Total variable Cost + Establishment cost 102,720.00
Total output=444 stools each producing 2 bunches per year = 888
bunches @ Ksh.250 = Total Output Ksh. 222,000.00
Total Variable & Establishment Costs = KSh.102,720.00
Gross Margin = Ksh. 161,460.00 per year
Tissue Culture = Ksh. 305,600.00 per year (Africa Harvest, 2007)

5. Objectives of the study
To determine the gender roles and
constraints in Banana production and
marketing in Imenti South District
Pro-Poor Agro-Enterprise Project:
Develop strategies for addressing gaps
and integrating gender in the banana value
chain

6. Methodology
Sites
◦ Abogeta, Nkuene and Igoji Divisions
Quantitative data collection
◦ Formal survey with structured questionnaire
◦ Male and female farmers
Qualitative data collection
◦ FGDs-male, female, mixed
◦ Key informant interviews
◦ Case studies

7. Findings
Banana No 1 cash crop (45%) followed by
coffee (13%) and maize (11%)
Men & women have similar primary &
secondary level education, 1% men have
college education
70% women and 30% men, have no
contact with extension
65% men compared to 35% women have
received banana production and
marketing training

8. Finding s
Traditionally a woman’s crop
Shift to cash crop and decline in coffee
industry=men involvement

9. Banana marketing 1

10. Banana marketing 2
Women not in organised groups as men
Lack of time, resources & information
Payment systems not suitable for women
Has led separation of roles & responsibilities
Women leasing own land and have bank
accounts
Empowerment of women, disempowerment
of men, and increased the burden for
women and household conflict

11. Banana Value Chain and Gender
What Production Production Fresh banana Value addition & Processed
prevent inputs sales processing sales
small scale
farmers 1 Small farm 3
6 Nonexistent, slow growing or
from; Limited sizes inaccessible markets
physical input
Selling
more
use: -Varieties
4
-Slow growth domestic markets
Poor on- farm Margin 5
-Fertilizers -Uncompetitive in export
-Irrigation practices: Leakage:
markets
Getting -Crop -Low farmer
-Planting -Limited processing industry
higher material management selling
prices -Storage power
-Whosaler
Having Subscale 2
search costs
lower volumes:
costs -Expensive
Raising inputs
standard Deficient Enablers;
of living -Including transport, storage, financial services and resources
What are the gender roles in production, processing, and
marketing and how to take advantage of these to improve
women’s access to higher-value markets and to secure a greater
role for farmers in value chains

12. Gender Question
How has the
commercialisation of
banana value chain
affected the gender
division of labour and in
turn influenced
household dynamics:-
a) resource management?
b) income flows?
c) expenditure patterns?
d) food and nutrition
security?
e) gender relations?
f) hh decision making?
Banana marketing in Ntarene, Meru South Dstrict 12

13. Strategies for intervening
Approaches
◦ Farmer Field Schools
◦ Participatory Market Systems Development
Partnerships- traditional and non-traditional
Policy- at local and national level
Business Development Services-(e.g. micro-
finance)

14. Thank you