The East African country of Uganda is the world’s second largest producer of bananas after India. Uganda produces about 9 million tons of the commodity annually. This production level creates tons of waste in form of stems and stocks. These are returned back to gardens to be used as fertilisers or mulching materials.
But the stems and stocks can be turned into fiber and used in making different products which can be exported to earn foreign exchange.
The banana fiber is a widely used product in making coarse woven fabrics for example sacks, ropes, twigs, sand bags, tents, webbings, canvas and screens, kit bags, tool bags, luggage, gunny bags and covers. Banana fiber can also be blended with wool and cotton to make blankets and carpets.
Ideally, the fiber is extracted from the pseudo-stem of banana and establishing a banana fiber-making plant to utilise the products of the variety of banana plantations is a fine economic venture.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa’s leather expert, Ms. Victoria Byoma, has vast knowledge in making products out of banana fiber which she sells locally and regionally. She describes it as “a business you can do from the confines of your home with ease and you will be surprised at how it can sustain family needs for years”.
Ms. Byoma makes ladies’ hand bags out of banana fiber, centre pieces, ornaments, decoration items, table mats, mats, and purses among other products. “This is the kind of business you can do in your free time. The beauty is the raw materials (banana fibers) are easily accessible – in our backyards, villages and markets,” she quips.
Ideally, this is a low-cost business to start. Many people would worry about starting capital but Ms Byoma says with Shs50, 000 you can start in this kind of business.
