Banking on that banana

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In Africa, bananas are commonly grown in East Africa with Uganda (which is also known as the matoke land) taking the lead. India is said to be the leading producer worldwide(FAOSTAT-2012).

 As a youth you would want to invest in the food value chain of bananas for income purposes. The following are ways in which bananas and the plant parts can be consumed:

In their raw form bananas are a delicacy and used as deserts . Bananas has the following benefits

• A good source of potassium( beneficial to the nervous system) not withstanding other vitamins and nutrients.
•  A good source of fibre.
• A source of antioxidants i.e carotenoids.
• Good for your cardiovascular health.
• Good for your bone health.

When selling whole raw bananas , grading is important.

The following banana plant parts can be used to make products:

Banana leaves. It is the fiber used to make baskets, paper, brushes and brooms.The fiber can also be used to make clothes.

Source:igreenspot.com

Banana fruit. It is mainly eaten raw but can be used to make juices or smoothies and also a flavor in milkshakes and yogurts.It can be used as a main ingredient in breads and cakes.You can check banana recipes on Pika Chakula blog.

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Banana flour. It is made from green bananas which are peeled, chopped, dried and then ground. It is a substitute to wheat as it is gluten free. it is also a good source of resistant starch(not easily digestible by the human stomach therefore acts as insoluble and soluble fiber. The flour can be used to make chapatis, porridge and ugali(besides the bread and cake mentioned above).

en.wikipedia.org

It can also be used as a animal feed where it acts as a coagulant . It is used in glue production(plywood glue).

Banana stem. Also used to make fiber.

Source:crafthubs.com

Next time you eat a banana don't just throw the peels, think of the money you can make out of it.
What other products do you think you can make out of a banana plant?