Swakopmund, Namibia Got Produce?® announced today the harvest of their first hydroponic banana trials. The company has been growing a number of new commercial crops in their new research and development greenhouse outside Swakopmund along the coast of the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world.
The greenhouse was developed in 2019 by Deborah Walliser, CEO of Got Produce Global Brands, and began first banana trials in 2021 in order to address the supply shortages in the Namibian retail markets.
Currently Namibia imports almost 80% of its food needs and about 6,000 tons of bananas a year. There have
been several earlier attempts to grow commercial bananas in the harsh climates of Namibia but they were not able to deliver needed production. One of the issues facing global banana production is a soil born disease Fusarium wilt, or banana wilt. Africa contributes about one-third of the global banana production with the Great Lakes region of Africa being one of the largest banana-growing and consuming area. Bananas are considered primary energy sources for millions of people in East Africa.
The disease is rapidly having a devastating effect on the continent. A new strain was first discovered on a farm in northern Mozambique which was previously restricted to Asia where it caused considerable damage to Cavendish clones and some locally grown varieties.
Because hydroponics uses no soil, it is not prone to the disease and is a perfect candidate for commercial production. The alternative is to find another commercial banana variety which could take years to replant or to genetically modify the Cavendish. “Hydroponics just makes it simpler,” explains Walliser, who obtained clean disease free Cavendish clones to try in the greenhouse.
The banana trees are planted in a much denser configuration than in the field and team members receive specialized training in planting and harvesting. By incorporating mature and immature plants in the same rows they ensure continuous rotation generate 45% greater yield per square meter than in the field.
The first trials have been successful on proving yield, taste, and operational expenses. Their aim is to be competitive with commodity market pricing in order to be a viable alternative to field grown products. Pricing and productivity have so far met with great support from the retail buyers in the country. Got Produce has signed produce contracts of over $50MM USD per year to supply hydroponic bananas and other produce items to Namibia’s top grocers and retailers.
The challenge with current hydroponic systems is that they are limited to a small number of higher value crops like lettuce, micro greens and berries. In order to enact substantial change in agriculture production and ensure food security for countries that rely on imports, we needed a technology that grows a much wider range of staple food crops. Walliser developed the technology for bananas and other crops and holds several patents for software and hardware.
The Swakopmund greenhouse is approximately 1800 m2 and currently grows 56 different crop varieties including hydroponic bananas, avocados, guava, Goji berry, eggplant, and cauliflower, along with lettuces, tomatoes, peppers and herbs.
Producing bananas hydroponically has shown to be more efficient in regards to water, labor and fertilizer use. Hydroponics uses about 1/10 of the water and fertilizer compared to field grown production. The company is currently planning a 50Ha greenhouse expansion to fill demand for their products.
The facility has also begun a seed breeding and seed saving program for many of the heirloom and rare chilies. “In order to be food secure, we also need control of our seed stock” explains Walliser, adding that many commercial seed varieties are genetically modified or protected under legal license and usage clauses. They aim to release results of new trials by the end of the year.
Got Produce? ® is a US based company providing patented hydroponic greenhouse solutions to developing countries and communities worldwide. The disruptive agriculture solution boasts production levels far above traditional farming (when compared using the same square footage) while using only a fraction of the water. Got Produce? ® was incorporated in 2010 and is run by CEO and hydroponic expert Deborah Walliser. For more information, please contact dwalliser @GotProduce.us
