Validation of the Profitability of Banana Growing in Kamwezi Sub-County, Kabale District, South Western Uganda

Banana is an important food staple and source of cash income in most parts of Uganda, which do not experience serious drought. Uganda’s production accounts for 20% of world’s production providing income to rural families. As an industry banana has the potential to expand opportunities and income as production increases. However, the profitability of banana is dwindling due to a number of constraints. Therefore, this study was conducted to validate the profitability of banana growing in Kamwezi sub-county, Kabale district in South Western Uganda. Data were collected from 46 respondents using semistructured questionnaires and interview guides. The findings revealed that farmers got 4957 bunches/ha of banana with the annual income of Uganda Shillings 7,303,368= million which was a very high profit compared to other major crops. The low yields of banana output were attributed to banana pests and diseases as well as competition from other enterprises such as livestock and annual crops. In addition, the major banana marketing constraints included poor transport, distance from the field and to market, inadequate market and inadequate labor for transporting bananas. Overall, the study has shown that banana growing is a profitable venture as long as farmers can access improved banana production technologies and improved marketing conditions