Banana wine brings sweet taste of success to Malawi farmers

In the northern region of Malawi, a small-scale farmer named Emily Nkhana has discovered a new and profitable way to utilize overripe bananas that would otherwise go to waste. Instead of discarding these bananas, she has turned to making banana wine, a venture that has not only provided her with a source of income but has also become a means of survival for her and many other farmers in the Karonga district. The extreme heat in the area has caused bananas to ripen at an alarming rate, leading to significant losses for farmers like Emily. She recalls, 'Then we discovered how to make banana wine,' as she prepares lemons to preserve the flavor of the bananas at the Twitule Cooperative Group's processing plant. For these farmers, the production of banana wine is more than just a business; it represents resilience and the ability to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. Previously, they cultivated their banana crops near the shores of Lake Malawi, but rising water levels due to increased rainfall have forced them to relocate to higher ground, where temperatures can soar to 42 degrees Celsius. Emily explains, 'Down at the old farm, our challenge was loads of water from the lake. Some of the bananas used to drown in water. ' Now, in their new location, they face the opposite problem: excessive heat that causes their bananas to ripen too quickly. 'Up here, we have way too much heat. It makes our bananas ripen very fast and go to waste,' she laments. The women in the cooperative have united to improve their economic conditions through farming, and the production of banana wine has become a small-scale operation in their backyards. The winemaking process takes place in a modest compound featuring a four-room house in the village of Mchenjere. The method is straightforward: overripe bananas are peeled, chopped into small pieces, weighed, and combined with sugar, yeast, raisins, and water, all while being covered with lemons. This mixture is then left to ferment for several weeks, transforming the banana pulp into a fragrant and potent wine with an alcohol content of 13%, comparable to traditional grape wine. Emily proudly states, 'It’s very good quality wine. You have to drink it while seated so you can enjoy the sweet flavour. ' The women are currently awaiting approval for their wine to be exported, which would open up new markets for their product. While banana wine may seem unusual to those accustomed to traditional wines, those who have tasted it find it to be a delightful experience. The wine can vary in color from pale yellow to a rich amber and boasts a sweet, fruity flavor, often accompanied by a subtle aroma and hints of lemon and banana. Local wine enthusiast Paul Kamwendo describes it as 'smooth and light, almost like a dessert wine,' expressing his surprise at the idea of making wine from bananas. For Emily and her colleagues, the secret to crafting a quality banana wine lies in achieving the right balance of sweetness and acidity. 'Timing is everything,' she emphasizes. 'You have to know when the bananas are at their best. Too ripe, and the wine becomes too sweet; too green, and it’s too tart. ' In Malawi, bananas typically take around 10 months to grow. The rise of banana wine in the region has been met with enthusiasm from both producers and consumers alike. At local markets, bottles of banana wine, priced at $3, have become a common sight, with vendors eager to showcase their latest creations. Tennyson Gondwe, the chief executive of Community Savings and Investment Promotion (Comsip), a cooperative that has trained the women in wine production, notes, 'We sell them at markets across Malawi, in the capital Lilongwe and in the biggest city Blantyre, and it is always sold out. ' Emily shares how the shift to making wine, rather than simply selling raw bananas that often went to waste, has transformed her life and the lives of her fellow women. 'Some of us built houses, some have livestock, and some have chickens. We can afford to eat decent meals. ' The Twitule cooperative produces between 20 and 50 liters of wine each month and has aspirations to purchase machines that will help them expand their production. 'We want to produce more wine. We want to move from this small production house to a factory,' Emily expresses. The group has even bigger plans, as Comsip has approached the Malawi Bureau of Standards to seek approval for exporting their wine. 'People are curious,' Emily smiles as she stirs the wine mixture, preparing it for fermentation. 'They want to know what it tastes like. And when they try it, they’re surprised by how good it is.