Banana is one of the most important fruit crops, serving as both a staple food and a major source of income in tropical and subtropical regions (
FAO, 2022). Per 100 g of fresh fruit, it provides approximately 371 kJ (89 kcal) of energy, 22.84 g carbohydrates, 12.23 g sugars and 2.6 g dietary fiber, together with essential nutrients such as vitamin B6 (0.4 mg), vitamin C (8.7 mg), magnesium (27 mg), phosphorus (22 mg) and potassium (358 mg), contributing to food and nutrition security
(Kumari et al., 2023; Sidhu and Zafar, 2018). Botanically, banana is a perennial monocotyledonous herb of the family Musaceae, characterized by a pseudostem formed by tightly packed leaf sheaths and a shallow, extensive root system. Most cultivated bananas are triploid (2n = 3x = 33), derived mainly from hybridization between
Musa acuminata (AA) and
Musa balbisiana (BB), although diploid (2n = 2x = 22) and tetraploid (2n = 4x = 44) genotypes also occur (
Robinson and Galán Saúco, 2010). Under favorable conditions, the production cycle generally ranges from 9 to 18 months, depending on cultivar, management and environment. Most edible cultivars are seedless, highly sterile and parthenocarpic and are therefore propagated vegetatively through suckers or, increasingly, in vitro tissue culture plantlets (
Heslop-Harrison and Schwarzacher, 2007;
Tumuhimbise and Talengera, 2018). Although vegetative propagation preserves desirable traits and promotes uniformity, the resulting low genetic diversity can increase vulnerability to pests and diseases.
Globally, banana is cultivated in more than 130 countries, with major producers including India, China, Uganda and Brazil, contributing substantially to food systems and agricultural economies (
FAO, 2022). In sub-Saharan Africa, bananas are important staple and cash crops supporting millions of smallholder farmers, particularly in densely populated areas because of their high productivity and year-round harvesting potential
(Tripathi et al., 2017). In Ethiopia, banana is the leading fruit crop in terms of area and production and is predominantly cultivated in southern and southwestern regions, including Sidama, Oromia and Southern Ethiopia, where agroecological conditions favor its production (Central Statistical Agency [CSA], 2021;
Gebre et al., 2020; Woldu et al., 2015). It contributes to household food security, income and employment and is commonly integrated with enset (
Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman), coffee, maize and other crops. Enset, a perennial herbaceous crop of the banana family (Musaceae), is an important staple, particularly in southern and southwestern Ethiopia
(Borrell et al., 2019). Such integrated systems can improve land-use efficiency, diversify food and income sources and strengthen smallholder resilience.
Despite its importance and production potential, banana productivity in Ethiopia remains substantially below the global average. In 2024, the average banana yield was approximately 13.1 t ha
-1 in Ethiopia, compared with approximately 23.0 t ha
-1 globally, indicating that Ethiopia’s productivity was approximately 43% lower than the global average (
FAO, 2025). This substantial yield gap attributed to a combination of biotic constraints (such as banana
Xanthomonas wilt,
Fusarium wilt and banana bunchy top disease as well as important pests including the banana weevil (
Cosmopolites sordidus) and plant-parasitic nematodes
(Blomme et al., 2026), abiotic stresses (including soil fertility decline and climate variability) and institutional challenges (such as limited access to improved planting materials, inadequate extension services and weak market linkages) (
Abeje and Alemayehu, 2019;
Ayele et al., 2024). In Ethiopia, BXW is an important disease of banana and enset, particularly in southern and southwestern production areas
(Shimelash et al., 2008). Furthermore, the predominance of traditional production practices and low adoption of improved technologies continue to hinder the sector’s productivity and profitability.
Recent studies have highlighted emerging threats to banana production, particularly climate change and the potential spread of destructive diseases such as
Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4), which pose risks to banana production systems in East Africa (
FAO, 2023). Simultaneously, rising domestic demand driven by population growth and urbanization, advances in propagation technologies and government support for horticultural development provide opportunities for sector growth. Given the importance of bananas and the complex constraints affecting their production, an updated synthesis of banana production systems in Ethiopia is necessary. Therefore, this review critically examines the current status of banana production, identifies major constraints and opportunities and proposes strategic interventions to improve the productivity, sustainability and resilience of banana-based farming systems in the country.
Review methodology
Relevant literature was collected through a structured search of electronic databases, such as Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, ResearchGate and FAOSTAT and official reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia. The search was guided by keywords including “banana production Ethiopia,” “Musa spp. constraints,” “banana value chain,” “banana varieties,” AND, OR “climate change impacts on banana,” using Boolean operators (AND, OR) to refine the results. Studies were included if they focused on banana production, agronomic practices, genetic resources, value chains, or climate-related impacts in Ethiopia or similar tropical systems. Studies lacking relevance, full-text access, or methodological clarity were excluded. Peer-reviewed articles and grey literature published from 2000 onwards were included. To ensure reliability, priority was given to peer-reviewed and official sources and the information was cross-verified across multiple references. As this study was based on secondary data, no ethical approval was required and all sources were properly cited to maintain academic integrity.
Banana production systems and types of its varieties in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, banana production is dominated by smallholder farmers using mixed farming systems, where banana is commonly integrated with coffee, enset, maize and vegetables to improve land-use efficiency (
Feyso and Mensa, 2021). Production ranges from rain-fed backyard gardens to small-scale irrigated commercial farms, but remains largely traditional and low-input, relying on farmer-managed suckers, limited fertilizer and pest management and predominantly rain-fed production. Productivity is constrained by seasonal rainfall variability, limited access to quality planting materials, inadequate extension services and weak post-harvest handling systems (
CSA, 2021;
Gebre et al., 2020). FAOSTAT data indicate an overall increase in banana production, from approximately 0.6-0.7 million tons in 2010 to 1.19 million tons in 2024, with a peak of approximately 1.35 million tons in 2022, followed by considerable annual fluctuations associated with climate variability, pest outbreaks and market disruptions (
FAO, 2024;
FAO, 2025). This growth largely reflects the expansion of cultivated areas and increasing domestic demand (
FAO, 2024;
Helgi Library, 2024).
Ethiopia’s banana genetic resources comprise introduced improved cultivars and locally adapted landraces, contributing to production diversity and resilience. Cavendish cultivars are the most widely grown improved types because of their high yield, uniform fruit quality, market acceptability, short stature and early maturity. Dwarf Cavendish, Grand Naine (G-9) and Williams Hybrid are particularly common on commercial and semi-commercial farms, whereas Poyo, Valery and Giant Cavendish occur mainly at research and demonstration sites. Their adoption remains limited by inadequate planting materials and extension support, although tissue culture propagation is facilitating their dissemination, particularly in emerging commercial production areas
(Firew et al., 2024; MoA, 2020;
Robinson and Galán Saúco, 2010).
Local banana varieties represent important genetic diversity developed through generations of farmer selection. Types such as Abesha Gishe, Dinke, Kayita and Kolo, together with numerous unnamed landraces, remain important in smallholder and homestead systems because of their adaptation to marginal conditions, local stress tolerance and cultural preferences (
Feyso and Mensa, 2021). Although generally taller and lower yielding than improved cultivars, these landraces may possess valuable resilience under drought, poor soils and low-input management. However, the increasing replacement of traditional varieties with improved Cavendish types threatens this genetic diversity. Conservation through field gene banks and on-farm management is therefore important for maintaining genetic resources and supporting future breeding programs (
Abeje and Alemayehu, 2019;
FAO, 2022).
Major constraints in banana production in Ethiopia
Banana production in Ethiopia is constrained by the interaction of biotic, abiotic, socioeconomic, institutional and postharvest factors that collectively reduce productivity and profitability. Despite favorable agroecological conditions, national yields remain below the global average because of these interconnected constraints (
FAO, 2024;
Ambisa et al., 2019). Among them, biotic stresses, particularly banana
Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) and
Fusarium wilt, are major production-limiting factors, followed by poor-quality planting materials and abiotic stresses, such as soil fertility depletion and drought. These constraints highlight the combined effects of biological and environmental pressures on the productivity. The adoption of improved technologies, including optimized planting density, irrigation management and fertigation, can enhance banana productivity and water-use efficiency. System intensification through optimized plant density and drip irrigation has been shown to improve both productivity and water-use efficiency (
Bridgit and Thomas, 2023).
Pests and diseases constraints
Pests and diseases are major biological constraints to banana production in Ethiopia. Banana
Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) is one of the most destructive diseases, causing rapid wilting, fruit rot and plant death and spreading through infected tools, planting materials and insect vectors
(Tripathi et al., 2017). Fusarium wilt is another major threat, particularly to Cavendish varieties, whereas bacterial soft rot and banana bunchy top virus further reduce leaf area, photosynthetic activity and yield (
Jones, 2009;
Ocimati et al., 2019). Burrowing nematodes (
Radopholus similis) and banana weevils (
Cosmopolites sordidus) damage roots and rhizomes, weakening plant anchorage, nutrient uptake and bunch development. These problems are exacerbated by infected or poor-quality suckers and inadequate, integrated pest and disease management (
FAO, 2022;
Sora and Guji, 2023).
Fusarium wilt is widely distributed in southern Ethiopia, with a disease incidence of 20.75-47.37% and severity of 28.63-46.31% across three Gamo Zone districts. Local cultivars recorded higher mean incidence (39.2%) and severity (42.8%) than improved cultivars, while fields using planting materials obtained from other farmers had incidence and severity of 44.7% and 44.4%, respectively
(Bekeko et al., 2025). BXW has also been associated with estimated yield losses of approximately 30-52% of annual banana production in affected areas
(Karamura et al., 2006). These findings highlight the substantial effects of disease pressure and the need for disease-free planting materials and integrated disease management practices.
Limited access to improved planting materials
The shortage of disease-free and improved planting materials is another critical constraint. Most farmers depend on farmer-saved suckers, which are often infected and genetically inferior, leading to low yields and high disease transmission rates. The limited availability of tissue-cultured plantlets restricts the adoption of high-yield and disease-resistant varieties
(Firew et al., 2024; Gebeyehu, 2018). This constraint significantly slows productivity growth and perpetuates the cycle of low output in smallholder farming systems. The use of tissue-culture-derived banana plantlets offers an important opportunity to improve the availability of uniform and disease-free planting materials and to facilitate the rapid multiplication of selected cultivars.
In vitro propagation can provide large numbers of plantlets from relatively small quantities of starting material and may overcome some of the limitations associated with conventional sucker propagation
(Kandha et al., 2022; Samanhudi et al., 2021).
Soil fertility decline and nutrient deficiency
Soil fertility depletion is a major abiotic constraint to banana production in Ethiopia, driven by continuous cultivation, nutrient removal, erosion and inadequate nutrient replenishment (
Abeje and Alemayehu, 2019;
CSA, 2021). National soil nutrient balances indicate annual losses of -23±73 kg N ha
-1 and -7±64 kg K ha
-1, compared with -9±29 kg P ha
-1, with greater depletion in the intensively cultivated areas of the central and southern highlands (
van Beek et al., 2016). The Ethiopian Soil Information System (EthioSIS) also reported widespread deficiencies of N (86% of mapped soils), P (99%), S (92%), B (65%) and Zn (53%), whereas K deficiency occurred in approximately 7% of soils (
EthioSIS, 2016). These spatial differences highlight the need for soil-test-based fertilizer recommendations rather than uniform application rates.
Nitrogen and potassium are particularly important for bananas because of their high nutrient demand and substantial nutrient removal through harvested bunches. Organic nutrient sources can improve the growth of tissue-culture-derived bananas, including plant height, pseudostem diameter and leaf development
(Samanhudi et al., 2021). Ethiopian production guidelines provide provisional recommendations of approximately 100 kg N ha
-1 applied at four-month intervals and 50 kg P
2O
5 ha
-1 annually, supplemented with organic manure where available (
MoA, 2020). However, K requirements vary with soil K status, yield target, cultivar and production environment. Evidence from East African highland banana systems indicates that K may be the most limiting nutrient, followed by P and N, supporting site-specific fertilizer recommendations
(Ndabamenye et al., 2013; Nyombi et al., 2010). Therefore, soil testing for pH, organic matter, N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, S, Zn and B, combined with organic matter management, mulching, erosion control and balanced fertilization, are essential for sustaining banana productivity in Ethiopia.
Climate change impacts
Climate change and variability are major constraints to banana production in Ethiopia, particularly in rain-fed systems. Ethiopia’s average annual temperature increased by approximately 1.65°C between 1955 and 2015, while rainfall remained highly variable (
Abebe, 2017). Long-term analyses also indicate significant warming across Ethiopia’s major rainfall zones, with mean annual temperature increasing by approximately 0.72–1.08°C, although rainfall trends vary spatially and seasonally
(Berihun et al., 2023; Gebrechorkos et al., 2019). In Sidama, rainfall increased by approximately 20-60 mm decade
-1 in some areas during 1991-2020, while significant warming was recorded in Hawassa Zuriya, Hula and Wonsho during 1981-2022
(Ware et al., 2023; Yona et al., 2024). These changes affect banana growth, flowering, fruit development, yield stability, water requirements and disease dynamics (
Varma and Bebber, 2019). Drought reduced bunch weight by 8-28% in the East African highlands, with 20-65% yield losses reported where annual rainfall was below 1,100 mm (
van Asten et al., 2011), while seasonal drought can delay flowering and maturity and reduce yield
(Uwimana et al., 2021). In Ethiopia, irrigation-water shortages and adverse weather further constrain banana production
(Ayele et al., 2024).
Temperature extremes, floods, storms and waterlogging can further reduce banana productivity. Bananas perform optimally at approximately 27°C and temperatures above approximately 31°C can cause heat stress, while those approaching 38°C severely restrict growth (
Robinson and Galán Saúco, 2010). Climate-related water and temperature stresses may also increase susceptibility to weevils, nematodes,
Fusarium wilt and
Xanthomonas wilt (
FAO, 2022;
Gebeyehu, 2018). Although bananas are mainly cultivated in lowland and mid-altitude areas of Ethiopia, increasing heat and water scarcity may alter production suitability across elevation gradients (
CSA, 2021). Therefore, adaptation measures, including improved and climate-resilient cultivars, supplementary irrigation, mulching, soil-moisture conservation, drainage and location-specific climate information, are important for sustaining banana productivity and reducing risks to smallholder livelihoods and food security (
FAO, 2022;
IPCC, 2022;
Varma and Bebber, 2019).
Land fragmentation and farm size limitation
Limited land availability and fragmentation are major structural constraints in Ethiopia’s banana production systems. With approximately 15.08 million ha under cultivation nationally, banana occupied approximately 95,954 ha in the 2022/23 production season, underscoring the importance of efficient land use in smallholder banana production (
CSA, 2023). Most farmers operate on small plots, often less than one hectare, which restricts commercial-scale production and the mechanization of farming. Bananas are typically grown in homestead gardens or intercropped systems, which limits their expansion potential (
Feyso and Mensa, 2021). Competing land uses for staple crops, such as maize and enset, also reduce the land allocated for banana cultivation.
Weak market systems and price instability
Banana marketing in Ethiopia is characterized by inefficient value chains, weak market linkages and limited bargaining power for farmers. The presence of multiple intermediaries reduces farmer income, while the lack of market information leads to price exploitation by the intermediaries. In addition, poor transportation infrastructure and the absence of cold storage facilities contribute to high post-harvest losses and reduced product quality (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
Gebre et al., 2020). Seasonal price fluctuations discourage investment in improved production systems.
Lack of improved agronomic practices and extension support
The low adoption of improved agronomic practices remains a major constraint on banana productivity in Ethiopia. Many farmers rely on traditional knowledge, with limited adoption of recommended practices, such as appropriate spacing, leaf pruning, fertilization and irrigation management. Extension services are often limited and insufficiently specialized in horticultural crops, constraining knowledge transfer and the adoption of improved technologies (
CSA, 2021;
Gebeyehu, 2018). Consequently, the banana yield potential is not fully realized, even under favorable environmental conditions
(Firew et al., 2024).
Postharvest losses and poor handling practices
Postharvest losses are significant in banana production because of poor handling, a lack of storage facilities and inefficient transportation systems. Because banana is highly perishable, inadequate postharvest handling, transportation, storage and ripening management can result in substantial quantitative and qualitative losses. Appropriate postharvest technologies, including pre-cooling, disinfection, modified-atmosphere packaging, coatings and other shelf-life-extension approaches, can help maintain fruit quality and reduce postharvest losses
(Mohapatra et al., 2019). In Ethiopia, the absence of cold storage and proper packaging systems leads to substantial quantitative and qualitative losses before products reach consumers (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
FAO, 2022).
Value chain analysis
The banana value chain in Ethiopia is predominantly informal and fragmented, involving input suppliers, smallholder producers, rural assemblers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers, with limited processing and value addition. Most bananas from southern and southwestern Ethiopia are marketed through traditional channels, with farmers selling at farm gates or local markets and having limited bargaining power. Weak coordination, inefficient price transmission, inadequate quality control and poor post-harvest infrastructure contribute to market inefficiencies and losses (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
Gebre et al., 2020). Input supply is also poorly developed, particularly for quality planting materials, fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers commonly rely on informal sucker exchange without quality assurance, increasing disease risks, while limited private input suppliers and weak extension linkages constrain productivity (
CSA, 2021;
Gebeyehu, 2018). Production is dominated by smallholders using mixed systems in which bananas are intercropped with coffee, enset, maize, beans, sweet potato and other crops. Low input use, traditional practices, limited irrigation and dependence on rainfall contribute to low and variable productivity, reducing marketable surplus and quality consistency (
FAO, 2022;
Feyso and Mensa, 2021).
Collection and aggregation are mainly undertaken by rural traders and middlemen who bulk and transport produce to urban markets, but may capture a substantial share of consumer prices. Limited farmer organization weakens bargaining power and restricts access to higher-value markets
(Gebre et al., 2020). Wholesaling and retailing are concentrated in Addis Ababa, Hawassa and regional towns, where prices are influenced by supply, transport costs and seasonality. Limited cold storage and ripening facilities accelerate quality deterioration and post-harvest losses (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024). Value addition remains limited because bananas are mainly sold and consumed fresh; processing into chips, flour, puree, juice and other products is still underdeveloped. CSA-based estimates indicate that approximately 48% of production is used for household consumption, 49% for sales, less than 1% for animal feed and less than 3% for other uses; these figures represent utilization rather than processing rates (
CSA, 2015;
Gebre et al., 2020). Nevertheless, growing urban demand, population growth and interest in healthier foods create opportunities for market expansion. Investment in quality planting materials, farmer cooperatives, extension, digital market information, cold storage, transport, agro-processing and public–private partnerships could improve coordination, reduce post-harvest losses, diversify products, strengthen farmer market access and enhance the competitiveness and inclusiveness of Ethiopia’s banana value chain (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
FAO, 2022;
Gebre et al., 2020).
Opportunities for banana production in Ethiopia
Banana production in Ethiopia has considerable potential for expansion and commercialization because of diverse agroecological conditions, increasing domestic demand and growing policy attention to horticulture. Southern and southwestern areas have favorable rainfall, soils and temperatures that support production under rain-fed and irrigated systems (
CSA, 2021;
FAO, 2022). Rising demand associated with population growth, urbanization and changing dietary preferences provides additional market incentives for producers and private-sector investment (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
Gebre et al., 2020). Improved production technologies, particularly tissue culture, offer important opportunities to address limitations in planting-material availability and quality. Properly produced and hardened tissue culture plantlets can provide large quantities of relatively uniform and pathogen-free planting materials, facilitate rapid multiplication and dissemination of improved cultivars and support more uniform establishment and production than conventional sucker propagation
(Aseffa et al., 2020; Dagnew et al., 2021; Firew et al., 2024). This is particularly relevant where farmer-maintained suckers contribute to the spread and accumulation of pests and diseases. Locally adapted and commercially promising cultivars should also be evaluated across major production environments before large-scale dissemination because performance varies with altitude, temperature, soil, water availability and disease pressure
(Firew et al., 2024; Gebeyehu, 2018).
Expansion of small-scale irrigation and water-harvesting systems provides another opportunity to stabilize production and reduce dependence on increasingly variable rainfall, particularly in drought-prone areas (
Abeje and Alemayehu, 2019;
FAO, 2022). Research and extension institutions can further support the sector through variety evaluation, improved agronomic practices and integrated pest and disease management
(Ayele et al., 2024; CSA, 2021). Market and value-chain development through farmer cooperatives, improved transport, private investment and agro-processing can strengthen producer–market linkages, reduce losses and create opportunities for products such as banana chips, flour and purée (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
Gebre et al., 2020). Integrating banana with coffee, enset and other crops in agroforestry systems can improve land-use efficiency, diversify farm income and enhance resilience through soil conservation and microclimate regulation (
FAO, 2022;
Feyso and Mensa, 2021). Continued government attention to horticultural development, irrigation and private-sector investment further provides an enabling environment for sector growth (
CSA 2021;
MoA 2020). Collectively, these opportunities can improve planting-material quality, productivity, market access, value addition and climate resilience while supporting the sustainable commercialization of Ethiopia’s banana sector.
Banana production in Ethiopia is predominantly smallholder-based and contributes substantially to household food consumption and income generation. However, productivity remains constrained by interacting biological, environmental, agronomic and socioeconomic factors, including inadequate management, limited access to improved planting materials, pests and diseases, declining soil fertility, water shortages, land constraints, climate variability and weak market and postharvest systems
(Ayele et al., 2024; CSA, 2021;
FAO, 2022). Similar constraints occur across East and Central Africa, indicating that sustainable productivity improvement requires integrated rather than isolated interventions
(Blomme et al., 2026). The persistence of these constraints despite Ethiopia’s favorable agroecological potential highlights substantial opportunities to improve productivity through better-targeted technologies and stronger institutional coordination.
Cultivar choice and healthy planting materials are fundamental to sustainable banana production because genotype performance varies across environments, requiring multi-location and multi-season evaluation before large-scale dissemination
(Dagnew et al., 2021; De Cauwer and Ortiz, 1998). Dwarf Cavendish, Giant Cavendish and Grand Nain have shown promising performance under specific Ethiopian conditions
(Aseffa et al., 2020). However, cultivar improvement should integrate yield stability, disease resistance, drought tolerance, fruit quality, market demand and farmer preferences while maintaining genetic diversity to reduce vulnerability to emerging diseases, such as
Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4)
(Dita et al., 2018; Ploetz, 2015). Poor-quality, farmer-derived suckers can facilitate pest and pathogen dissemination, highlighting the need for clean planting materials, resistant or diverse cultivars, sanitation, surveillance and coordinated farmer participation, as demonstrated by
Xanthomonas wilt management experiences in Rwanda and Uganda
(Ayele et al., 2024; Kikulwe et al., 2019; Kubiriba et al., 2023; Uwamahoro et al., 2019). The TR4 threat further emphasizes strengthened quarantine, diagnostics, surveillance and regulation of planting-material movement in Ethiopia
(Dita et al., 2018). Tissue culture and macropropagation can improve access to healthy planting materials, although adoption depends on affordability, accessibility, nursery capacity, farmer preferences and institutional support
(Almekinders et al., 2019; Flarian et al., 2018; Lefranc et al., 2010). Recent Ethiopian advances in macropropagation and micropropagation provide a basis for decentralized, quality-assured planting-material systems
(Darge et al., 2026; Firew et al., 2024).
Soil fertility and water availability are also fundamental determinants of banana productivity. Deficiencies of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium can substantially limit production, emphasizing the need for balanced and site-specific nutrient management
(Ndabamenye et al., 2013). Drought and increasing climate variability further threaten yield stability
(Abdoussalami et al., 2023; van Asten et al., 2011). Sustainable intensification should therefore integrate soil testing, balanced fertilization, organic matter management, mulching, water harvesting, supplemental irrigation and climate-resilient cultivars. Importantly, climate adaptation should be integrated with nutrient, cultivar and disease-management strategies rather than treated as a separate intervention.
Postharvest and market constraints can substantially reduce the economic benefits of increased production. Postharvest losses of approximately 26.5% have been reported in Ethiopia, mainly due to mechanical damage, poor transportation and storage, rotting and improper ripening
(Gemechu et al., 2021; Mebratie et al., 2015). Comparable losses elsewhere in Africa indicate that postharvest management is a broader value-chain challenge
(Ssennoga et al., 2019). Improved harvesting, packaging, transportation, storage, ripening and handling practices could therefore increase the proportion of production reaching consumers in marketable condition (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
Feyso and Mensa, 2021;
Shikur, 2024). However, increased production alone may not improve farmer income where market information, alternative markets, cold storage, transportation and cooperative capacity remain inadequate
(Gebre et al., 2020). Strengthening farmer organizations, market linkages, value addition and quality-based marketing is consequently essential for translating productivity gains into improved livelihoods (
Bantayehu and Alemayehu, 2024;
Gebre et al., 2022).
Technology adoption ultimately depends on the compatibility of innovations with farmers’ resources, knowledge, preferences and market opportunities. Participatory extension, farmer training, demonstrations and community-based approaches have supported adoption of banana production and disease-management technologies in East Africa
(Karamura et al., 2015; Kikulwe et al., 2019; Kubiriba et al., 2023). Ethiopian banana development should therefore emphasize participatory innovation systems linking research, extension, farmers, nurseries, private-sector actors, cooperatives, processors and policymakers.
The central implication of this review is that banana development in Ethiopia should move beyond a predominantly production-oriented approach toward an integrated innovation system linking improved cultivars and planting materials, sustainable production and crop protection, climate resilience, post-harvest and value-chain development and effective extension and policy support. Coordinated interventions across these areas are more likely to deliver sustained improvements in productivity, profitability, resilience and sustainability than isolated measures that address individual constraints. Therefore, government and development programs should strengthen planting material quality and disease surveillance, support decentralized propagation and extension, improve farmer organizations and market infrastructure and promote collaboration among research institutions, private-sector actors and producers. Such an integrated approach would support the transition of Ethiopia’s banana sector toward more productive, profitable, resilient and sustainable production systems in the future.
