Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

358 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 2
exist are practically impassable during the rainy period, which can be as long as 10
months. Transporting the bulky and heavy load of plantain from the hinterlands to the
urban centres is quite expensive and slow. Needed urgently are technologies to
transform the fruits into products with long shelf lives that are easy to handle and
transport such as dehydrated slices (Johnson 1996) and flour.
The plantain trade is not organised in any country except in Côte d’Ivoire. Prices are
highly variable within a given country because of the lack of information on supply and
demand. Poor post-harvest handling of the fruit injuries the skin exposing the fruit to
infection by pathogens. Combined with the lack of appropriate storage facilities a lot of
the fruits are lost from spoilage.
Consumption
With cassava, rice and yams, plantain is one of the principal staples in the sub-region. In
Ghana, per capita consumption of plantain is exceeded only by cassava (PPMED 1991).
In Côte d’Ivoire plantain is the most consumed staple after yams (N’da Adopo et al.
1999) Consumption reaches as high as 92 kg/person/year in Ghana and 153
kg/person/year in Gabon (Table 1). In many countries demand outstrips supply (Agbor
1996) and eating plantain in the cities is a luxury affordable by only a few especially in
Gabon where per capita consumption of plantain is highest in West and Central Africa
(Koumba Koumba personal communication). Even in the rural areas, plantain is
preferred over other staples (Schill et al. 1996). Dishes prepared with plantain are many
and vary from baby food (Soymusa in Nigeria) to the principal evening dish (fufu in
Ghana) to snack food (chips in Camerooun) or a side dish (Alocco in Côte d’Ivoire).
Plantain is cooked green, fried ripe, mashed and fried, cooked directly in a sauce, boiled
and pounded or roasted.
Unlike cereals, which are easily stored for long periods with minimal processing, the
highly perishable nature of plantain requires that the fruit be consumed a few to several
days after harvesting. Research is urgently needed to transform the fruit to permit its
being stored for longer periods than is currently the case. The challenge to this effort is
that the new product can be used to prepare the traditional dishes known and
appreciated by consumers.
References
Aiyelaagbe I.O.O & M.A. Jalaoso. 1996. Productivity of intercropped plantain-soybean in southwestern
Nigeria. Fruits 49 (3) : 191-195.
Agbor A.N. 1996. Banana and plantain project in Cross River State. Pp. 59-60 in Plantain and
Banana : production and research in West and Central Africa (R. Ortiz and M.O. Akoroda,
eds.). Proceedings of a regional workshop held at High Rainfall Station, Onne, Rivers State,
Nigeria. IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Arene O.B. 1996. Plantain and banana production in southeastern Nigeria. Pp. 56-58 in Plantain
and Banana : production and research in West and Central Africa (R. Ortiz and M.O. Akoroda,