Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

124 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 1
Table 2. Percentage distribution of farmers by size of agricultural land holding [in
SRE].
Zone/special 0.0-0.5 ha 0.5-1.0 ha 1.0-1.5 ha 1.5-2.0 ha Total
woreda and above
Gedeo 61.21 31.78 6.16 0.85 100.00
Sidama 27.80 33.38 21.52 17.30 100.00
N. Omo 47.24 33.09 15.35 4.32 100.00
S. Omo 45.53 13.07 29.52 11.88 100.00
K.A.T. 13.97 40.15 33.49 12.39 100.00
Hadiya 26.24 43.70 19.81 10.25 100.00
Guraghe 23.77 28.26 18.95 29.02 100.00
Kaffecho - 34.23 47.79 17.98 100.00
Bench 36.90 28.07 23.28 11.75 100.00
Shekecho 4.04 3.87 12.00 80.09 100.00
Maji - - - 100.00 100.00
Burji - 13.21 36.66 50.13 100.00
Amaro 35.29 45.53 17.93 1.25 100.00
Konso 28.35 58.17 11.24 2.24 100.00
Derashe 16.22 30.29 47.94 5.55 100.00
Yem 87.83 12.15 0.02 - 100.00
30.05 32.89 21.21 15.85 100.00
Source: SRE Bureau of Agriculture zonal Agricultural Departments/Data for Mid 1993/94 in BOPED, 1996.
Note: Lower class limits are not inclusive.
In terms of sales, banana was only third after lime (“lomi”) (Citrus aurantifolia)
(81%) and orange (59%) (personal evaluation), according to the statistics then
(Westphal 1975). However these days it is assumed that banana may be the first in terms
of sales, due to the fact that the production of those citrus fruits is highly reduced by
disease in the region.
In years when there is a serious drought and there is no other forage crop the
pseudostem and leaves of banana are used to feed livestock. It is a good source of cash
and supplementary food all the year round to farmers who produce it. It is also a
valuable crop in soil conservation and land use, growing on slopes, in gorges and on
water banks in areas where it is difficult to cultivate other crops such as cereals.
Constraints to the promotion of banana in SRE
Lack of an organised research programme
The generation of new and improved technologies for production is the most important
factor to promote the crop. However, research on banana is at a very early stage. Only
some work on varietal collection and maintenance was begun recently at Areka Research
subcentre.
There is a shortage of specialised manpower to conduct research on banana.