Exotic Banana Products (EBP) is a banana juicing and fruit juice blending factory situated in White River in the Mpumalanga Province. It has been in operation for approximately two years. The process involves turning the indigenous banana variety (Piesang Awak) into a novel, organic banana juice and is a first in South Africa.

EBP aims to produce and brand a high quality, innovative, 100% natural fruit juice from banana juice blends by operating a high quality juice processing and packaging operation which meets all GMP and ISO standards. The company replaces apple juice with clear banana juice as a base for fruit juices. The banana juice has high levels of natural sugars useable as a natural sweetener in fruit juices, and its nutrient quality surpasses that of all other fruit juices. EBP operates under the brand SIMPLY NATURES and ENERJUICE, and currently produces for SPAR, Pick ‘n Pay, Massmart and other mainstream retail points-of-sale.

Exotic Banana Products became a client of TechnoServe in September 2006. Since then TechnoServe has assisted with the facilitation of commercial funding, mentorship and technical support in partnership with the ARC (Agriculture Research Council). TechnoServe has also been involved in developing the supply chain through the Mabhovu Community.

The juice is made from domestic bananas grown by rural disadvantaged communities of Mpumalanga. EBP is empowering these local communities, involving 300+ households in the Bushbuckridge area, by bringing to market their natural resource. The company was awarded R50 000 in Seed Capital as part of the MABEDI programme which has been earmarked for the development of the Mabhovu community supply chain. Here measures are planned to increase the yields of the current banana farmers through technical assistance and the provision of water, sinking of boreholes and distribution of fertilizers. An additional 2000 tissue culture plants are to be planted in the community before the end of April, and these should become productive by mid 2008.

EBP FACTORY PERSPECTIVES

Patrick Fokam

Patrick Fokam is one of the permanent employees at Exotic Banana Products. He is originally from Cameroon but studied Food Technology in South Africa and has a marketing management diploma. Frank Kasujja, the other permanent employee at EBP, is from Uganda. In Uganda, he was a teacher and at EBP he is the production foreman. His wife and three children live in Uganda and every month he sends home 1000 for school fees and food.

NELSON MASCHABA: A BANANA GROWER’S PERSPECTIVE

Nelson Maschaba is a banana farmer in the Mariti district of Bushbuckridge who forms part of the Mabhovu community. He has been supplying Exotic Banana Products since 2005. He says EBP has benefited the community: “We now have someone to supply and so our incomes are increasing.”

Nelson does not even have a Grade 1 level education. He says his parents were too poor to afford schooling for him. When he was a young man he worked on a mine as well as a construction worker in Johannesburg. He gained some experience in commercial farming when he worked as a general farm labourer on a farm in Kiepersol. When he came back to his home in Mariti he invested in a tractor and trailer and started a business that collected sand. He earned approximately R1500 to R2000 per month from collecting sand and renting out his tractor.

Juicing plant

He has ten dependents with his youngest child in Grade 2. His household’s diet consists largely of cassava (a type of starchy potato), marogo which they grow in winter but which largely depends on the amount of water available, chicken, soup, tea and bread. He owns a car which he uses to purchase tires for his trailers and tractor parts. He would like to spend more on his house and add a special sitting room to entertain guests, but says that spending on education has taken precedence.

Nelson sometimes hires workers to help out in the banana plantation in times of high demand. He pays R20 per line of bananas that are cleaned (leaves stripped). There is no particular banana harvest season. Nelson would like to extend his banana operation. Currently he only employs one worker and would need to earn more to employ more workers. He also desires to have water installed on his farm – this would increase the yield from the banana trees. Water is his largest constraint to achieving increased yield. He also wishes for another tractor, not to rent, but to use to work on the farm.

EBP used to purchase his bananas for R15 a box in 2005. Fortunately they now pay R20. For the month of January, Nelson has sold 21 boxes at R20. (R420) His expenses include fertilizer (which is vital to increase the yield): 10kg costs approximately R45. Weeding and stripping weeds is labour intensive. When Nelson has some boxes available he telephones EBP to come and collect them.

Nelson considers banana growing a man’s job and says there are only a few women involved in the Mabhovu community. (In reality this is not the case – the majority of banana farmers in the Mabhovu are women!) Nelson thinks that those not involved in banana growing are missing out on a unique opportunity. He is very optimistic about the long term sustainability of his banana growing business. “I started growing bananas before I got married.” He says he is personally motivated to expand his banana growing operation because he learnt when he was working for the white farmers, that they earned a living from growing bananas and so he knows that it is possible.

Although TechnoServe has only been involved for a short period of time with Nelson and the Mabhovu Community, Nelson is considers the relationship to be a good one. “TechnoServe listens to my needs.” He hopes they can help in constructing a borehole and advising him on how to increase productivity. He thinks the establishment of the Mabhovu community is a good idea as it helps the banana farmers to discuss issues amongst themselves and they now have someone to represent them.

Factory
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Farmers