Banana farmers in Nyamira and Kisii counties have been asked to plant hardened tissue-culture banana varieties that are resistant to diseases and matures fast.
According to Nyamira Agriculture Sector Development Support programme coordinator Yuvinalis Orenge most indigenous banana suckers were prone to diseases.
"For instance the panama disease has reduced harvests greatly. Most farmers who have used the new methods have reaped big," he said.
Addressing farmers at Ekerenyo market in Nyamira county, Orenge said that the tissue culture banana varieties were not only resistant to diseases, but also were faster in maturing.
He said that yields registered by the hardened tissue culture varieties were also higher than the indigenous ones and presented greater advantages to the farmer.
He added that Gusii area has great banana production potential and that farmers needed to catch-up with the new tissue culture technology to rake in profits
"Our organisation had identified 20 groups to run banana hardening nurseries, one is in each ward. Farmers can obtain their seedlings from these nurseries," he added.
Orenge called upon farmers to seek advice from their organisation so that they can be able to improve on banana farming in the area.