EGERTON UNIVERSITY

NAME: NYAATA MOGENI KEVIN

REG NO: V11/16198/16

STREAM: BSc. ANIMAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT

UNIT: AGEC 331

VALUE CHAIN: BANANA

COUNTY: KISII
TITLE: BANANA PRODUCTION IN KISII COUNTY.

INTRODUCTION

Middlemen these are agents between two parties or they are intermediary between producers
and consumers especially in the market channel. Without middlemen in the market the
market might be exploited, so they help in networking and balancing the prices in the market.
I am majoring in the production of banana in Kisii county since it is the major product
produced there due to favourable climate and soil conditions which support them hence
becoming the value chain in the county.

BODY

Why middlemen are not supposed to be eliminated from the production of banana in Kisii
county;

1.They help farmers to transport the bananas in bulky from rural areas to urban centres
where they are highly consumed, this is because farmers can’t access the market due to high
transportation cost.

2.Middlemen performs the important role by linking the banana farmers to direct market,
since the bananas are also highly perishable compared to other value chains in the market like
grains i.e. maize.

3.Middlemen helps in negotiating prices in the market by not exploiting the producers and
the consumers, since they buy and sell the goods (bananas) after a clear negotiations and
agreement.

4.Middlemen are also important since that’s their economic activity where, they get their
incomes from, so without middlemen business activities will fail to complete, since they
perform a major role generally by reducing time of the goods staying in the market without
getting customers.

Why middlemen should be eliminated from production of bananas;

 Middlemen should be eliminated since they exploit farmers by buying large

quantities at low prices and selling the products in small quantities to
 consumers at high prices, benefiting themselves without considering other
people.

CONCLUSION

 In conclusion, middlemen are of high value to the market since they help in linking
farmers and fork in the market channel where producers can’t access, so it encouraged
middlemen to retain the position in the market channel of bananas and also encourage
young people with the passion of being middlemen to work ahead and achieve their
targets.

RECOMMENDATION

 I recommend that in the production of bananas middlemen are of importance and

should be there to buy bananas from small scale farmers, transport and sell them to
the consumers as early as possible before they go bad, since they are perishable fruits
which needs direct market.

REFERENCE

 Information acquired in class debate conducted by Mr. Dickson.

 From internet sources (google).

 From observation from banana farmers in Kisii and the middlemen who buy and sell
the bananas.