By Joshua Kato
Banana peels make up about 30% of the total weight of the banana fruit. This means that for every truck delivering matooke to the city, 30% of the cargo is wasted.
Banana peels offer a potential low-cost livestock feedstuff while addressing environmental concerns.
Small agro-industries in Uganda lack the resources for proper waste treatment, leading to banana peels being discarded in food markets.
Banana peels contain 6-9% protein in dry matter, as well as starch, soluble sugars, phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, copper and potassium.
Green peels have about 40% starch, which converts to sugars as they ripen.
Dr Jolly Kabirizi, a livestock nutritionist and consultant adds that lactating dairy cows need glucose for milk production.
Using discarded banana peels from urban markets to produce ensiled feed could benefit small-scale urban dairy farmers.
However, the high moisture content of banana peels (about 80%) complicates their use.
She suggests processing these peels to reduce moisture, concentrate nutrients, inhibit deteriorating micro-organisms, extend storage life and lower transportation costs.
“For small-scale urban dairy farmers, conventional feed resources like Napier grass are expensive and less available. Increasing the availability of alternative feed resources is crucial,” Kabirizi says.
She recommends producing feed from ensiled banana peels combined with sweet potato vines, maize stover or molasses.
These can provide a valuable nutrient source and help address feed scarcity in urban dairy cattle and pig systems.
