Namibia is expected to harvest its first locally grown bananas by September 2025, marking a significant milestone in the country’s agricultural sector, the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) has announced.
The upcoming harvest follows the successful launch of a banana industry development trial in partnership with AvaGro.
In 2023, over 2,222 banana seedlings were planted at Mango Vulizi Farm in the Singalamwe area of the Zambezi region as part of the initiative.
According to NAB Public Relations Officer Liseli Mwilima, the trial has progressed well, with critical processes such as de-suckering completed and flower initiation expected soon.
“The harvesting process is expected to take place in early winter, tentatively between June and August 2025,” Mwilima said.
As part of efforts to expand the initiative, NAB recently announced the planting of additional banana crops at the Etunda Green Scheme Irrigation Project in Ruacana. The expansion is aimed at assessing the feasibility of large-scale banana production in Namibia.
“The expansion at Etunda is less than a hectare, while we were allocated a full hectare at Oshivelo Farm. The total costs of the expansion are still being assessed, as they vary depending on plant growth and input needs,” Mwilima said.
In addition to the expansion, NAB and AvaGro recently conducted a banana training session at Vulizi Mango Farm in the Zambezi region and Oshivelo Farm.
The session provided insights into the progress of the Banana Trial Project, to evaluate the adaptability of banana plants to Namibia’s soil and climatic conditions.
The Banana Project is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between NAB and AvaGro in October 2023.
The agreement aims to establish a sustainable banana industry in Namibia through research and development, focusing on identifying high-yield banana varieties suitable for different agroecological zones in the country.
