Explainer: Why Is Somalia Importing Bananas While Its Own Banana Industry Declines?

Somalia, once Africa’s leading banana exporter, is now importing bananas from neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, highlighting the dramatic decline of one of the country’s most important agricultural sectors.

According to a World Bank report, Somalia has become one of the largest importers of Kenyan bananas, with shipments arriving in Mogadishu by road and sea.

The development reflects a broader trend in which imported food products increasingly dominate Somali markets despite the country’s significant agricultural potential.

Bananas have historically been one of Somalia’s flagship crops. The country also produces vegetables, rice, sesame, and other food crops.

However, in recent years, imports have continued to outpace exports, leaving local farmers struggling to compete with foreign produce.

Why are imported bananas outperforming Somali bananas?

Analysts say the problem is not a lack of production capacity but rather the business environment facing Somali farmers.

While imported Kenyan bananas reportedly reach Mogadishu with relatively few logistical obstacles, Somali farmers in traditional banana-producing areas such as Janaale and Buulo Mareer face multiple challenges, including insecurity, illegal checkpoints, informal taxation, and weak infrastructure.

Somali political analyst Muhsen Hirabe has argued that Kenyan farmers now find it easier and more profitable to sell bananas in Mogadishu than Somali farmers themselves.

“I commend the traders who recognized this opportunity and filled the gap,” Hirabe said. “At the same time, I ‘thank’ the Somali government for creating a market for Kenyan farmers while failing to provide Somali farmers with access to that same market.”

Somalia’s former banana powerhouse

Janaale, in the Lower Shabelle region, was once the heart of Somalia’s banana industry. During the Italian colonial era, roughly 20,000 hectares were devoted to banana cultivation.

By the early 1990s, Somalia was regarded as Africa’s largest banana producer and exporter, with bananas serving as one of the country’s most valuable export commodities.

Today, however, much of that production has collapsed.

Security challenges and illegal taxation

Farmers in Lower Shabelle operate under difficult security conditions.

Many agricultural areas remain contested, with farmers reporting that they face demands for payments from Al-Shabaab while also navigating numerous illegal checkpoints that increase transportation costs and delay produce from reaching markets.

Although Somali government forces and AUSSOM recently dismantled one illegal checkpoint near Janaale that authorities said had been used to extort civilians and disrupt trade, producers say such obstacles remain widespread.

The cumulative cost of checkpoint payments is ultimately passed on to consumers through higher food prices.

Authorities accuse Al-Shabaab of collecting millions of dollars annually through illegal taxation from farmers, traders and rural communities to finance its insurgency.

Import figures show changing trade patterns

Trade data illustrates the shift.

In 2024, Kenya exported approximately $350,660 worth of edible fruits and nuts to Somalia.

Combined banana imports from Ethiopia and Kenya reached approximately $2.84 million, with Ethiopia reportedly accounting for the larger share. Yemen also exported smaller quantities of bananas to Somalia during the same period.

Meanwhile, Kenya and Somalia have continued negotiating trade agreements aimed at reducing non-tariff barriers and strengthening bilateral commerce. Business organizations from both countries have also signed cooperation agreements to facilitate trade.

Structural decline

Experts say Somalia’s banana industry’s decline began long before current trade patterns.

Years of conflict destroyed plantations, while disputes over farmland in Lower Shabelle damaged agricultural production.

Limited technical knowledge, inadequate post-harvest handling, poor infrastructure and insufficient government support have further weakened the sector.

Political instability has also complicated efforts to revive agriculture. Analysts argue that prolonged political disputes, delayed elections, insecurity and weak coordination between federal and regional authorities have created conditions that have undermined investment while allowing militant groups to retain influence in key farming areas.

Can Somalia revive its banana industry?

Agricultural experts believe Somalia still possesses fertile land, favorable climate conditions and a long history of banana cultivation.

However, they argue that meaningful recovery will depend on improving security in farming areas, eliminating illegal checkpoints, investing in agricultural infrastructure, expanding farmer training, and creating a more competitive environment for domestic producers.

Until those structural challenges are addressed, Somalia is likely to remain increasingly dependent on imported bananas despite having the natural capacity to produce them domestically.