In northern Malawi, Emily Nkhana, a small-scale farmer, has turned a problem into a profitable venture. Previously, over-ripe bananas were discarded or allowed to rot. Now, Nkhana and her fellow farmers are making banana wine, transforming what was once waste into a valuable product.
The farmers in Karonga district faced significant losses due to extreme heat causing bananas to ripen too quickly. Rising water levels from Lake Malawi had previously damaged their crops, prompting a move to higher, hotter ground where temperatures can reach up to 42°C.
“Our old farm was plagued by excessive water, causing bananas to drown,” Nkhana explains. “Now, we face too much heat, causing bananas to ripen too fast and spoil.”
A group of women from the Twitule Cooperative Group is spearheading this innovative solution. In the village of Mchenjere, they have established a small-scale wine production operation in their backyards.
The process is straightforward: overripe bananas are peeled, cut, and mixed with sugar, yeast, raisins, water, and lemons. After several weeks of fermentation, the result is a banana wine with 13% alcohol content, comparable to grape wine.
“This is high-quality wine,” Nkhana says. “It’s best enjoyed seated to savor the sweet flavor.”
Banana wine may seem unconventional, but it is winning over many. The wine, which can vary from pale yellow to amber, offers a sweet, fruity taste with a light lemon and banana flavor. Paul Kamwendo, a local wine enthusiast, praises its smoothness, likening it to a dessert wine.
“I was amazed to learn that banana wine exists,” Kamwendo notes.
For Nkhana and her team, creating the perfect banana wine involves precise timing. Overripe bananas make the wine overly sweet, while less ripe ones result in a tart flavor. The key is finding the right balance between sweetness and acidity.
Banana wine has become popular at local markets across Malawi, including Lilongwe and Blantyre. Bottles are sold for $3 (£2.30) and often sell out quickly. Tennyson Gondwe, CEO of Community Savings and Investment Promotion (Comsip), highlights the cooperative’s success in training women to produce quality wine.
Nkhana credits the venture with transforming her life and those of her colleagues. Many have used their earnings to build homes, acquire livestock, and afford better meals.
Currently, the Twitule Cooperative produces between 20-50 liters of banana wine each month. They plan to purchase equipment to increase production and dream of transitioning to a larger factory. Comsip is also seeking approval from the Malawi Bureau of Standards to export the wine.
“There’s growing curiosity about banana wine,” Nkhana says with a smile as she prepares the mixture for fermentation. “People are surprised by how good it tastes.”
This innovative approach not only provides a new income source but also highlights the resilience and adaptability of Malawian farmers in the face of climate change.
