Banana Farmers Research Articles

Production management in banana production units, El Oro province - Ecuador

This research analyzed production management of 74 agricultural production units, belonging to the Coast Banana Farmers Association (ASOAGRIBAL) from El Oro province - Ecuador. Latent variables were specified such as situational analysis, planning and control and support technology in processes. It were added profitability as a key indicator, considering the financial point of view in this type of organization. The research was positivist, quantitative, analytical, non-experimental, with a transectional and field data design. The data collection instrument designed was the questionnaire, applied through the survey technique. Descriptive results indicate that the variables situational analysis (3.56), planning and control processes (3.40) and production technology platform (3.51) obtained statistical means that allowed them to be classified as good, while the mean value of profitability (3.36) classifies it as regular, far from the classification of excellence. The estimated correlations showed that none of the dimensions under study reached levels of excellence. Results of structural equations model analysis showed a high degree of linear association and positive dependence between the four latent variables; that is, they vary jointly with respect to their average. It is necessary to work on the integration of production tasks as a mechanism to achieve higher levels of profitability, which result in the economic-financial well-being of agricultural companies.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of banana farm workers regarding water management and associated factors

ABSTRACTBanana production is an agricultural activity that requires intensive use of water. Its increasing demand brings about not only risks of water scarcity in banana-producing farms but also management challenges for the farm workers. Thus, understanding the association of water management practices with the banana workers’ knowledge, attitude, and practices is crucial. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a scale to assess the relationship among the knowledge, attitudes, and practices – KAP – of banana farm workers regarding water management and associated factors. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on three banana farms in the Urabá region, Colombia. The scale showed excellent psychometric properties in the dimensions of knowledge and attitude. Scores on the scale indicated that the workers have a satisfactory level of knowledge and attitude and an excellent level of practice. However, no relationship was noted between practices, and knowledge and attitude. The results suggest that workers’ practices do not depend on their knowledge and attitude as they are workers employed by one company. Thus, the practices of farm workers can be easily controlled as they have to do what they are told to do by their boss.

EFISIENSI TEKNIS USAHATANI PISANG CAVENDISH MENGGUNAKAN STOCHASTIC FRONTIER ANALYSIS (SFA) DI KABUPATEN BOJONEGORO

This study uses stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to evaluate the efficacy of Cavendish banana cultivation technology in Bojonegoro Regency. An opinion survey of 16 Cavendish banana farmers spread across seven sub-districts in Bojonegoro Regency provides primary data. Farmers' technical productivity and the variables that affect it are assessed using SFA analysis. Based on the findings, Cavendish banana producers in Bojonegoro Regency have an average technical productivity of 80.8%. The stochastic frontier production function model includes the seven variables shown in table 1 and hypothesized to have an impact on output levels: land area, seeds, chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers, labor, and capital. Large areas of land, organic fertilizers and pesticides are all elements that have a significant impact on the effectiveness of farmer technology. While age, education level, and number of family members are variables that affect inefficiency. The variable level of education is an element that has quite a large influence on technological inefficiency. The findings of this study are expected to educate relevant stakeholders and increase the effectiveness of the technology for the Cavendish banana industry in Bojonegoro Regency.

MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF FERROCEMENT LIGHTWEIGHT BANANA FIBRE CONCRETE UNDER UNIAXIAL BENDING

To obtain lightweight and environmentally friendly building materials that can be produced quickly at low cost, among others, can be obtained through the use of natural fiber based ferrocement concrete technology. The use of light weight building materials combined with natural fibers to form structural components is intended to reduce the weight of the building mass but also to protect the environment and benefit banana farmers' income. Ferrocement lightweight concrete (FLWC) can be obtained by partially substituting fine aggregate with pumice sand and by adding banana stem fiber to form a ferrocement lightweight fiber concrete (FLWFC) composition. Compressive and tensile tests on ferrocement lightweight concrete and ferrocement light fiber concrete were carried out at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, respectively. The test results showed that the optimal composition of FLWC and FLWFC occurred in the substitution of pumice sand by 40% and banana stem fibers with a length of 3 cm by 0.05% of the weight of cement and obtained a concrete mass density of 1437 kg. The compressive strength and tensile strength of FLWC without fiber at 28 days were 8.4 MPa and 2.15 MPa respectively, while FLWC with fiber added increased by about 6%, namely 8.9 MPa for compressive strength and 83% for tensile strength is 3.94 MPa. Flexural tensile strength of Sandwich Wall Panels (SWP) at 28 days of prism-shaped specimens with dimensions of 60 x 30 x 5 cm, 45 x 15 x 4 cm and 30 x 10 x 3 cm respectively 1.60 MPa, 1.86 MPa and 2.4 MPa for FLWC without banana stem fiber. The increase in the flexural tensile strength of the SWP was 40.63% (2.25 MPa), 21.51% (2.26 MPa) and 18.75% (2.85 MPa) respectively in the SWP-FLWC using Banana Fibers (BF) or an average of 26% increase. The size effect of the SWP test object looks significant, that is, there is a tendency that the larger the dimensions of the test object, the smaller the flexural tensile strength value, but on the contrary, the role of banana stem fiber in contributing to the increase in flexural tensile strength is seen to be more significant.

Utilization Pattern of TNAU Banana Expert System among Nendren Banana Growers in Kanyakumari District

Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for transmission of localized information and services has increased towards making farming socially, economically and environmentally sustainable by Digital Agriculture. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has initiated a lot of efforts in digitizing agricultural information to reach the stakeholders. A few expert systems were developed to help farmers and specialists to diagnose plant diseases. The TNAU Banana expert system is one such mobile app, where a farmer can get all solution and information on banana cultivation in just one touch. An experiment was conducted with 40 banana farmers of Kanyakumari district who form the respondents for the study. This paper analyses on Knowledge gain with the support of the TNAU Banana Expert system, which showed significant positive change. The number of technologies adopted above the average adoption level after demonstration was eleven. It was adopted by only 12.5% of farmers before using the App, while it was 62.5% after the demonstration. The overall increase in Knowledge gain over the existing level was 53.05%.

Farmers’ perceptions, adoption and impacts of integrated water management technology under changing climate

ABSTRACT This study investigates the correlations between Chinese banana farmers’ perceptions of integrated water management technology (IWMT) and their adoption behaviours and examines the impact of IWMT adoption on farm performance. The results revealed that farmers’ IWMT adoption correlates significantly with their perceptions of whether IWMT adoption can help reduce farm workload, fertilizer and water, the extent to which the technology is easier to operate, and the extent to which the technology can generate higher economic benefits than furrow irrigation technology. IWMT adoption significantly increases banana yields, gross revenue, net returns and irrigation frequency, but does not significantly affect irrigation expenditure.

The Impact of Agricultural Credit on Banana cultivation in Valle del Cauca, Colombia

This study aimed to explore the use and effect of agricultural credit disbursed from banks and financial institutions on banana yield in farmers from Valle del Cauca (Colombia) using data from the National Agricultural Census (2014). Additionally, it evaluated whether the effect of credit differs according to the items in which the farmer prefers to invest. For this purpose, because credits are not granted randomly, this research used the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methodology to manage selection bias. Initially, it was found through the probit model that having one's own agricultural machinery, using chemical fertilization to improve soil fertility, not belonging to an ethnic minority, and having some type of basic or higher education, increases the probability of obtaining an agricultural credit. On the other hand, the results suggest that credit has positive and significant effects on crop yield (6.2%), but the effect is greater if it is invested in land purchase and post-harvest processes, with an increase of 39% and 37% in yield, respectively. On the other hand, this study also suggests that, if credit is invested in items not related to agricultural activity, yields can be affected with a 10% reduction. Finally, it is recommended that a public policy be implemented to encourage greater participation of banana farmers in Valle del Cauca in agricultural credit programs, given their low participation (10%) despite the high acceptability rate (86%).

Optimising combinations of different nutrient sources for organic banana farming

Optimising combinations of different nutrient sources for organic banana farming

Why Gender Matters in Breeding: Lessons from Cooking Bananas in Uganda

This study examined the gender-differentiated trait preferences of cooking banana (matooke) for farmers and consumers in Central Uganda to inform banana-breeding strategies. Women and men banana farmers might have differing production objectives, norms, and values which drive decisions on which varieties to adopt and grow. However, breeders rarely consider this in their variety development programs, leading to lost opportunities for equitable breeding. An exploratory sequential mixed-method approach was used to obtain a richer understanding of the trait preferences of women and men, which explains the acceptability of cooking bananas. Consumer preference tests for the candidate banana varieties and released hybrids were also conducted. The results showed that the universal attributes for variety selection were bunch size, taste, resistance to pests and diseases, drought tolerance, food texture/softness, maturity period, and finger size. Men appreciated agronomic and market-related traits, such as tolerance to drought and poor soils, bunch size and compactness, maturity period, and shelf life, while women valued processing and cooking traits such as flavour, food colour, ease of peeling, finger size, and agronomic traits such as plant height. These are plausible attributes for the gender-responsive breeding of bananas. The findings highlight the need to redesign the banana-breeding pipeline and process in Uganda to deliver varieties with attributes desired by women and men along this commodity value chain. A participatory demand-driven and gender-responsive process involving stepwise selection criteria that commences with quality traits followed by production traits while integrating gender-specific preferences should be employed to ensure the acceptability of cooking banana hybrids by women and men end users. This requires integrating different disciplines, including social scientists and gender experts, along the entire breeding process for more inclusive products and equitable outcomes.

Strategi Pengembangan Dan Perluasan Wilayah Pasar Petani Pisang Uli (Musa paradisiaca sapientum)

The study aims to determine the internal and external factors that influence the development of the Banana (Musa paradisiaca sapientum) farming business in Ruguk Village and to formulate an optimal strategy for developing the banana farming business. The analysis used is descriptive analysis, IFE Matrix analysis, EFE Matrix, Internal – External (IE) Matrix, SWOT Diagram, and SWOT analysis. Respondents were selected purposively. The respondents were 8 (eight) experts in their fields. From the results of In the Internal – External (IE) matrix analysis, it was concluded that the farming business should implement a growth strategy, and from SWOT Diagram Analysis since the farming is in quadrant I, they should use an aggressive strategy. Ten specific strategies have resulted from the SWOT analysis, namely the SO strategy: 1). Expanding the scale of banana production, 2) Expanding marketing to supermarkets, and 3) Diversifying processed chip products. WO strategy: 1) Improving the management and the functions of farmer producers cooperative, 2) Providing facilitation and education on diversification of processed products, 3) Utilizing information technology for marketing, communication, and transaction facilities. ST strategy: 1) Improving cultivation management and maintenance to increase the quality and quantity of production. WT strategy: 1) Education on how to handle the disease, 2) Carry out plant maintenance regularly, and 3) Delivery on time.

Banana Farm Workers’ Preference of an Access to Health Care and Education: A Conjoint Analysis

In lieu of a concrete living wage calculation for Kapatagan Banana Growers Cooperative (A Cavendish banana grower in Barangay Kapatagan, Digos City) in their conformance to the Rainforest Alliance Standard certification program, this study determined the farm workers’ preference of an access to health care and education program. Conjoint analysis was used in determining the highly preferable attributes among 259 respondents. Through literature and farm records review, the four attributes are formulated: (1) frequency of medical mission, (2) health awareness topics, (3) provision of annual school supplies, and (4) educational information drives. The results revealed that the educational information drive has the highest utility value in which respondents prefer topics on climate change, carbon footprints reduction and waste management. The second variable with the highest utility value is the frequency of medical mission wherein respondents prefer to have it in a semi-annual basis. School supplies came out to be the third in rank (provision of writing materials and books) and the attribute on health awareness value (topics on AIDS/HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis prevention) came out with the lowest utility. Based on the result, the study recommends that the issue on living wage shall not be taken by cooperatives or employers into something that is within the liability concept but rather a responsibility which involves continuous communication and immersion to come up with more appropriate services’ attributes.

Production and Sale of Fruit by Farmers in Tuyen Quang, Vietnam

The study evaluated the overview of research works on fruit farm development in the world and in Vietnam. Stemming from the actual situation, it is necessary to assess the development status of fruit farms in Tuyen Quang province. The study surveyed 60 farms, of which 20 orange farms were surveyed in Ham Yen district; 15 pomelo farms in Yen Son district; 10 banana farms in Chiem Hoa district; 15 other fruit trees (persimmon, custard apple, longan, litchi, mango, dragon fruit ...) in districts in Tuyen Quang province. In addition, the study collected the opinions of 30 experts, including: scientists; economic experts; state staff in the agricultural sector. The method of the survey was to build the questionnaire on issues related to the development of fruit tree production in Tuyen Quang province. The study analyzed the production and business characteristics of the farms, the production and sale of fruit, and also surveyed the harvest, distribution channels, and fruit selling prices. The study also assessed the economic efficiency of fruit trees growing on farms, thereby identifying fruit trees with high economic efficiency. The study has evaluated advantages and difficulties in the production and sale of products of the farms, thereby providing a basis for proposing solutions to develop fruit tree farms in Tuyen Quang province in the near future.

Does Farmers’ Lottery Participation Affect Technical Efficiency of Banana Production in Rural China?

Increasing the agricultural technical efficiency is crucial to poverty reduction for smallholder farmers in developing countries. This study attempts to examine the impact of farmers’ lottery participation on technical efficiency from the perspective of the farmers’ revealed risk preferences, and to explore the influence mechanism between lottery participation and technical efficiency, based on the primary data collected from banana farmers in rural China. We used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the combined technical efficiency of the farmers and constructed an endogenous switching regressions (ESR) model to analyse the impact of lottery participation on the technical efficiency of banana farms. A quantile regression model was used to analyse the heterogeneous effects under the different levels of the farmers’ technical efficiency. Then, a mediation model was employed to clarify the influence mechanism of lottery participation on technical efficiency in terms of two pathways: the adoption of biopesticide and the soil improvement technique. The empirical results show that farmers’ lottery participation revealed their risk preferences and several factors affected banana farmers’ participation in the lottery. Specifically, male farmers are more likely to participated in the lottery than female; farmers’ working hours negatively affected their lottery participation; and the use of a smartphone significantly increased the likelihood of farmers buying lottery tickets. We also found that farmers who participate in the lottery have higher technical efficiency in banana production, and the average treatment effect of lottery participation on the technical efficiency was 21.5%, indicating that the farmers with revealed risk preferences can significantly promote technical efficiency. The effect of risk preferences on economic performance is more significant for farmers at the middle technical efficiency level. The explanation is that the adoption of new technologies (e.g., biopesticides) played a mediating effect between farmers’ lottery participation and their technical efficiency. New technologies are more likely to be adopted by farmers who participate in the lottery, resulting in higher technical efficiency. Therefore, policymakers and stakeholders can better design technology extension programs according to the different attitudes of the target farmers towards risks in developing regions.

Dissemination of Fusarium Wilt of Banana in Mozambique Caused by Fusarium odoratissimum Tropical Race 4.

Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) is a serious soil-borne fungal disease. In the previous century, FWB already destroyed Gros Michel-based banana cultures in Central America, and currently, the disease threatens all major banana-producing regions of the world. The causal agents of these epidemics, however, are diverse. Gros Michel was infected by a wide range of Fusarium species, the so-called Race 1 strains, whereas the contemporary Cavendish-based cultures are affected by Fusarium odoratissimum, colloquially called Tropical Race 4 (TR4). TR4 was reported in Mozambique on two commercial banana farms in 2013, but no incursions were found outside the farm boundaries in 2015, suggesting that the disease was under control. Here we report the presence of TR4 outside of these farm boundaries. We obtained fungal samples from 13 banana plants in smallholder and roadside plantings at various locations throughout northern Mozambique. These samples tested positive for TR4 by molecular diagnostics and in greenhouse pathogenicity assays. The results were confirmed with reisolations, thereby completing Koch's postulates. To study the diversity of TR4 isolates in Mozambique, we selected five samples for whole-genome sequencing. Comparison with a global collection of TR4 samples revealed very little genetic variation, indicating that the fungus is clonally spreading in Mozambique. Furthermore, isolates from Mozambique are clearly genetically separated from other geographic incursions, and thus we cannot trace the origin of TR4 in Mozambique. Nevertheless, our data demonstrates the dissemination of TR4 in Mozambique, underscoring the failure of disease management strategies. This threatens African banana production.

Business reputation and corporate social responsibility in Ecuadorian banana organizations

Ecuadorian banana organizations are dedicated to commercializing and producing bananas. Corporate social responsibility plays an essential role in their development since their compliance with stakeholders gives them a good reputation. For this reason, this research aims to determine the relationshipbetween Business Reputation (ER) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in banana organizations. Therefore, a methodology was carried out by treating the information in a sample of 86 banana farms, with a quantitative methodology, with a correlational level and a descriptive scope, through Spearman's Rhocorrelation and validation with Cronbach's alpha of 0.97. In this way, the information obtained allowed a categorical system to be made for each variable, composed of the most influential factors according to their degree of correlation between 0.70 and 0.96, concluding that Corporate Social Responsibility is influential in business reputation in companies Ecuadorian banana companies.

Does agricultural cooperative membership influence off‐farm work decisions of farm couples?

AbstractMembership in agricultural cooperatives may influence intra‐household decisions regarding the division of household labor. However, the linkages between cooperative membership and labor allocation remain unexplored. To fill this gap, we examine the impact of cooperative membership on off‐farm work decisions of couples engaged in farming, using data collected from 595 banana farmers in China. The recursive bivariate probit model and endogenous‐treatment Poisson regression model are employed to address the self‐selection bias inherent in cooperative membership. The results show that cooperative membership increases the probability of participating in off‐farm work by 38% for husbands and 31% for wives. Having large households reduces the probability of husbands but increases that of wives working off‐farm. Cooperative membership is also associated with more time spent on off‐farm work and higher earnings for both husbands and wives. Our findings point to the potential of agricultural cooperatives to increase farm couples’ off‐farm employment, thus increasing household income and quality of life.

METODE PEMASARAN PISANG RAJA (Musa paradisiaca L) MENJADI OLAHAN NUGET MELALUI MEDIA ONLINE

This research refers to the development of nuget banana marketing methods through online media. The purpose of this research is to see how far online marketing methods can be used in the marketing process. The method used is a qualitative research method in order to get as much information as possible. This research was conducted in Tulungagung Regency because in several areas in Tulungagung there are lots of bananas and this is one of the products that can be processed into nuggets so that they have added value to the original product. The results of this study, the marketing of processed bananas into nuggets, has received a positive response from the community with many small entrepreneurs in Tulungagung Regency making processed banana products using online marketing methods through grab food and other (local) delivery services, and market places. From the development of this marketing method, it was able to boost the income of banana farmers because the selling value of these bananas experienced an increase in price.

Rancang Bangun Sistem Pakar Diagnosa Penyakit Tanaman Pisang Canvendish Dengan Metode Forward Chaining

Bananas are part of the horticultural commodity group of fruits which are widely consumed because of their delicious taste and high nutritional content. One of the problems that exist when cultivating canvendish banana plants is the existence of disease disorders that occur in these plants. To prevent this from happening, knowledge about the diseases experienced by these plants is based on the symptoms experienced. Sources of knowledge about the disease and its symptoms can be obtained from an expert. However, the difficulty of consulting with experts in the field of canvendish bananas can be overcome with the help of an expert system to diagnose diseases of canvendish bananas using the Forward Chaining method. The purpose of this research is to help banana farmers or ordinary people to be able to carry out prevention and treatment when bananas are attacked by diseases or pests and overcome existing problems regarding canvendish bananas.

Actionable insights for horticulture supply chains through advanced IoT analytics

This research addresses one of the key challenges facing the horticulture industry, disruption. Disruption both on farm and post-harvest through the supply chain. Caused by exogenous factors such as wars, trade sanctions and the Covid-19 pandemic, the small and medium sized horticulture farming businesses which represent most of the supply to the sector are faced with daily decisions in attempts to mitigate the disruption. A research gap was identified in the data available to these horticulture farmers to inform their supply chain decisions. Using action design research methodology, the gap and problem were defined with a stakeholder group of subject matter experts from the horticulture industry in Australia. Through ongoing cycles of feedback with this group, a framework, the Horticulture Supply Chain Analytics (HSCA) framework was developed with a supporting IT (Information Technology) artifact. The stakeholder group strongly recommended that a level of autonomy be developed in the solution as the farmers are time poor, requiring actionable insights from the supply chain data. A novel concept was developed to achieve this level of autonomy using geospatial enhancements to the supply chain event logs, generated by the GPS (Global Position System) trackers, to allow for autonomous supply chain monitoring and compliance checking. A banana farm was selected for evaluation of the framework, which required deployment of IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, both on the farm and the consignments being transported to customers. The HSCA framework was found to deliver actionable insights for the banana business, improving on farm productivity, reduction in key input costs as well as improving post-harvest quality and yield. Results and learnings from the banana farm use case have been captured and generalized for the horticulture sector.

Soil physicochemical characteristics and leaf nutrient contents on banana farms of North Queensland, Australia

Context Banana production in Australia is in three primary sub-regions within tropical North Queensland and the industry faces a variety of challenges including costs of production, disease and pests, and environmental impacts. The range of soil characteristics and banana leaf nutrient status on banana farms has not previously been systematically described. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to adapt research, management recommendations, and regulations to the needs of the three primary growing sub-regions. Aims In this work, we aimed to identify key soil factors that differentiate growing sub-regions, and provide context for future research and industry regulation. Methods We characterised soil and banana leaf samples from 28 banana farms on soil types accounting for >85% of Australia’s banana production. Key results and conclusions Variation in soil properties and leaf nutrient concentrations were driven largely by site- (principal component 1 in both cases) and management-related variables (principal component 2 in both cases). Management-related foliar nutrient concentrations did not differ between regions despite differences in the associated soil variables. The most important site characteristics appeared to be soil parent material and climate. The Mareeba sub-region has basaltic soils, low rainfall and temperature, whereas the other two sub-regions are hotter, wetter and have a variety of soil parent materials. Leaf nitrogen concentrations were mostly below the regulated limit for additional nitrogen fertiliser application. Implications Our findings can facilitate sub-region-specific site selection for research, extension, and monitoring and more targeted regulation of banana production- and environment-related issues.