TİKA Provides Support for Banana Production of 225 Tonnes in Guinea, West Africa

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provides support for growing 225 tonnes of bananas on a land of 50 decares in order to generate resources for agricultural research in Guinea.

The Kindia Center for Agricultural Research, which is located in the city of Kindia as the only center for agricultural research in the country, has been operating since 1946 in Guinea. As a frequent research destination for students from different cities, this center provides support to experts and farmers facing problems. However, the research and development projects at the center have not been at a sufficient level due to insufficient refunds.

Thanks to the project initiated by TİKA, support will be provided for growing bananas on a large terrain that belongs to the center and extra revenues will be provided for agricultural research. As part of the project, TİKA procured the required agricultural equipment, fertilizer, herbicide and irrigation system in order to grow bananas on the land of 5 hectares that belong to the Kindia Center for Agricultural Research. The produce of the first harvest of 135 tonnes was sold to the buyers for 7000 GNF (5 TRY) per kilogram. Thanks to the project, it's expected that the center will generate an income of 137,000 Euros and these resources will be used for research and development.

During his statement, the Kindia Center for Agricultural Research Director Yaya Soumah said that pineapple farming has been carried out more frequently than banana farming in the region, but that the people of the region would be partly switching to banana farming due to the positive outcomes that have been obtained. Having stated that Guinea was once the largest banana producer among West African Countries but recently lost this title, Soumah expressed his gratitude for the support and requested additional support from TİKA in order to build a bacteriology lab as well.

TİKA’s Guinea Coordinator Gökhan Keser, on the other hand, said that each sector has great potential in Guinea and that their purpose is not only to increase banana production, but also to achieve a sales performance that is suitable to current standards. Keser stated that their goal in the upcoming period would be to activate the cold storage house and the ethylene generator facility, which would include the ripening & degreening processes of the bananas.