Banana peel bran solves two issues in Uganda

Over 1,500 tonnes of garbage are generated daily in Kampala, capital of Uganda, which the city council has difficulties to collect and process.

 

Three quarters of garbage rots uncollected on pavements, streets, sewerage outlets and water channels.

 

Thanks to an innovation of Kasubi Parish Local Community Development Initiative and Kawaala Recycling and Manufacturing Development Group the waste problem is reduced since they have started turning banana peels into veterinary feeds.

 

Moses Nadiope, the coordinator of Kasubi Parish Local Community Development Initiative said turning banana peels into banana bran project was developed from the general observation that chicken, pigs, and cows ate the raw peels.

 

“We wondered why the peels could not be dried and milled into feeds,” he said.

 

Over 70% of the garbage in the area are banana peels making the sourcing of the raw material for making the banana peel bran easy.

 

“Our project reduces the burden of garbage in our neighbourhood because we buy dried banana peels from residents at Shs120 (app. 4 €cents) per kilogramme,” Nadiope said.

 

The project is supported by Environmental Alert, an NGO working to ensure environmental protection, bought them a mill they are now using to process the banana peel bran. The machine was given to them on credit but they will be able to clear the debt from the profits they make.

 

Every day one tonne of peel bran from six tonnes of dry banana peels is produced. The banana peel bran is a good substitute to maize bran which is becoming very expensive for poultry farmers.

 

Lab test showed that the banana peel bran has enough phosphorous, proteins, calcium and is free from heavy metals.

 

Makerere University scientists observed that the bran is safe but they have to be properly dried on polythene sheets and kept in dry places to avoid dampness which creates conditions for bacterial multiplication.

 

Farmers need to add cotton seed, silver fish (mukene), sun flower and other ingredients to make proper meals for poultry, pigs and other animals.

 

At Shs250 (app. 9 €cents) per kg the banana bran is very cheap compared to a kilogramme of maize bran that ranges between Shs350-Shs500 (12 – 18 €cents).