The potato crisis: A historic crop losing its place to bananas in Guinea

Written by: Ayman Ragab

In the fertile plains of Guessorifoule in the Mali province of northern Guinea, which has been famous for years for potato farming, an increasing number of farmers are turning to banana cultivation, despite the difficulties posed by water scarcity during the dry season.

The bananas, which are picked in the early morning hours, reflect the success of this new agricultural experiment, as they are characterized by their sweet taste and distinctive aroma, indicating the gradual expansion of their production within the province located in the Labe region, near the borders with Senegal and Mali.

  Guinea banana

Bananas were not a major crop in the region, but farmers have begun to shift their farming practices in search of diversified income sources. Aliu Golonga Sowari, head of the provincial chamber of agriculture, says many producers have turned to banana cultivation as part of their crop diversification efforts, expressing hope for a profitable return on investment from these projects.

The developed agricultural area in Gesourevole, located on the banks of a waterway, was originally dedicated to potato cultivation, but the agricultural landscape is gradually changing with the spread of banana trees among the vegetable fields, indicating an increasing demand for this crop.

decline in potato cultivation

A number of young people have also joined this agricultural activity, including Mamasalio Soareh, who explained that he comes from the village of Hor Velo to Giesorifol to obtain bunches of bananas, either for personal consumption or for resale.

On the farms, farmers continue daily maintenance work that includes pruning, cleaning and replanting trees, relying on the fertility of the soil to expand banana orchards.

Ongoing maintenance

For his part, Almamy Souare explained that banana cultivation requires constant maintenance, noting that farmers are currently pruning and replanting some trees. He added that the biggest challenge is water scarcity during the dry season, which causes the trees to wilt, while farms achieve better results during the rainy season, when the trees grow vigorously and produce large clusters thanks to the fertile soil.

Despite the challenges associated with providing water, marketing banana bunches is already providing a good income for a number of producers, which encourages more farmers to expand its cultivation.