XINHUA – Waste bananas in Myanmar are being transformed into value-added products, providing additional income for local farmers and creating new business opportunities, the official Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) reported yesterday.
The raw materials for these value-added products are primarily sourced from Ayeyarwady, Mandalay and Bago regions, where bananas are mainly cultivated, the report said.
Basic and advanced courses on turning waste bananas into value-added products are being conducted in the regions and states of Bago, Ayeyarwady, Shan, Mandalay and Yangon, the report said. The banana-based products included slippers, mats, towels, and bags, it said.
The report, citing founder of Green Banana Myanmar U Myint Thein, said that the use of banana-based products, unlike plastic ones, does not have negative effects on the environment.
Awareness programmes on the benefits of banana cultivation, including the potential to sell banana trunks for additional income, are also being conducted across the country, the report said.
Green Banana Myanmar is collaborating with the Department of Rural Development to conduct the training and is now offering courses in monastic education schools, the report said.
