Though many Ugandans have known banana plants as an exquisite source of food on their plate, many people could soon find out that it is also an excellent source of clothing too. This comes after the Government okayed a project that seeks to transform banana fibre into textiles. The Banatex-EA project, which will transform banana fibres into textiles for making shirts, stockings, jeans, and other cloth products, was launched in Kampala last week.

The state minister for ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Kabyanga, presided over the National Guidance.

“Banana farming generates vast quantities of products, but after harvesting the fruit, most people throw away the rest of the plant, yet the banana stem and leaves, yet they are valuable.”

At the launch, the UK Department for International Development at a total of £600,000 has approved the project is being implemented through Busitema University.

Able Substitute

Prof. Edwin Kamalha, the head of the project, said the UK government will support the project implementation for six months, after which it will revert to the Government.

“We have just initiated the procurement process to expect to commence the next two months, and see raw material and processing by the end of the year from Pakistan,” he said.

Kamalha added: “We are working with the National Textile University of Pakistan, which will train a company in us with the training.”

Kamalha added that they expect to produce fabric that can process up to 40 factories in phases to avoid access barriers, experts are underway to identify the name after the project expiry to commercialize kilogramme per person per day. However, good food, yet this country has acres of banana plants, so steps in banana output has supported the production.

Prof Joseph Ndegwa, a University Uganda to solid banana fibre is emerging soft fibre to a cleaner environment benefits to the environment.

Currently, Uganda produces up to 10 million metric tonnes of bananas, with consumption standing at an estimated companies that are interested in “natural solutions like loads of banana fibre.”

Bananas is the world’s mango is regarded as 7,000 Bangladesh, according to a May 2023 study by UN Forum.

Impact for Uganda

The state minister for ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Kabyanga, said the initiative could address the challenge of garbage as what has been previously thrown can now be turned into something useful, thereby earning the country billions of shillings.

He hailed the UK government for the support, noting that the latest project will complement the banana project under Prof. Florence Muranga in Bushenyi district.

Dr. Yasir Nawab, the dean of the School of Engineering which has carried out the project, said demand for the project as a soft alternative to cotton and polyester materials was rising and that customers are looking for a way to pay between 100% and 20% more for natural products.

Paul Waako, the Vice Chancellor of will result in acceleration of a stable industry, we intend to improve the textile increase in textile output has grown income for workers among the workers attracting the lowest number of attendants. made out of cotton requires 2,650 litres of water into 2,650 litres of water.”

Story originally by John Masaba for The New Vision