Farmers from Western Kenya have been count losses as high production costs ate into their bottomlines Farmers from Western Kenya have been counting losses as high production costs ate into their bottomlines. However, change is sweeping the traditional grain basket region of Kenya. As farmers diversify from maize to tissue culture banana farming - a more disease resistant technique producing high yields attracting returns. Scientists from the Jomo Kenyatta University of agriculture and technology – JKUAT are providing farmers with improved banana varieties, which mature faster than conventional ones.