Chapter 279: Three Thousand Kilometers
After the West Army occupied the right bank of the Kwango River, the Third East African Conquest War was essentially over. At present, East Africa could be said to have eaten its fill and drunk its fill. Having achieved its military objectives, the kingdom now shifted its focus from war to national development, preparing to absorb the spoils of this conflict while bracing for future changes in world affairs.
On the European continent, the wars of Franco-Prussian and Italo-Austrian were still raging. In the Franco-Prussian conflict, Ernst already knew the final outcome, having "read the script." The main uncertainty was what would happen on the Italian front.
October 3, 1870
Hohenzollern Castle
Under the light of an electric lamp, Ernst was studying some geographical data on Somalia, using a pencil to make small revisions on an East African map at his side. East Africa's territory in Somalia consisted mainly of the Northern Province and Juba Province.
Positioned for future development, these two provinces were intended by Ernst to focus heavily on cultivating cash crops and raising livestock. Contrary to the common image of Somalia as purely desert, it actually includes about fifteen percent forested terrain, plus a comparable area of grassland. Especially in the two East African provinces, which span not only Somalia but also much of what was southeastern Ethiopia in a previous era.
As for growing staple grains, that would fall to other regions. Somalia's farmland resources—like its water resources—were relatively scarce in East African territory, so planting cash crops there made more sense.
The first step would be expanding the cultivation of frankincense and myrrh. These are in steady demand, and historically Somalia produced large quantities of these spices; it's one of the world's main sources of frankincense and myrrh, sometimes called the "Land of Spices." Production of these two items accounts for more than half of global supply.
Next would be livestock, especially camels—Somalia led the world in camel numbers in a previous era—followed by cattle and goats. East Africa itself might have only modest demand for camels, but they could be sold to North Africa or the Middle East.
Frankincense, myrrh, and camel husbandry all fit Somalia's natural advantages. Building on that, Ernst planned to transform Somalia into East Africa's center for cotton and banana cultivation.
Bananas in East Africa were a new frontier. While many banana trees existed throughout East Africa, they'd never been industrially grown, instead just serving as an everyday fruit for local residents.
In a previous era, bananas from Somalia were famously delicious—soft like vanilla cream and said to be among the sweetest in the world. Somalia was sometimes called the "Banana Kingdom." Currently, though, its banana industry was nonexistent. Historically, large-scale banana planting began in the 1920s under Italian colonial rule, with over two hundred plantations established in fertile southern Somalia.
Italian banana cultivation did quite well there, and bananas quickly became a mainstay of the Somali diet—eaten with rice or pasta, or consumed as a pre-meal fruit. The deep influence of Italy's banana-growing efforts was evident in Somalia's culinary habits. Later, when Somali warlords fought each other, they often seized the banana plantations first. That shows how important bananas were to the region. Of course, now that East Africa's Northern and Juba Provinces had expelled the local population, no warlords remained to vie for them.
Thinking of all this, Ernst said, "Tom, go contact some European agricultural experts, especially those knowledgeable about banana cultivation, and see if any are willing to come to East Africa. Also gather professional references about banana farming—we need data to support the development of Somalia's economy."
"Yes, Your Highness. But I do have one question: Somalia's more or less a desert, isn't it? Are bananas really suitable there?" Tom asked curiously.
"It is an arid climate, but not purely desert," Ernst explained. "Egypt's desert has oases, right? The Nile corridor is famously fertile. Similarly, Somalia's Shabelle and Juba Rivers—while no Nile—provide ample water for irrigation. Where there's water, the desert isn't a big deal."
"I see. But why insist on growing bananas in Somalia? Plenty of other East African regions also have bananas," Tom inquired.
Bananas are widespread in Africa—especially in the Great Lakes area, ideal for banana farming. In a previous era, documentaries showed Africans hauling bananas by bicycle in that region, places like Uganda where bananas are the 'national food' and banana wine is a 'national drink.' Even the famed Odrebiu was a banana porter in Burundi, hauling not just fruit but people's main source of carbs.
"Sure, those places have bananas," Ernst said, "but they can't match Somalia in terms of location. We want to target European markets, and transportation for bananas and other produce is a huge challenge. Somalia's location is perfect, thanks to the Suez Canal. It's already fairly close to Europe, plus it has ports we can use directly."
In Somalia, the prime banana-growing area of Afgooye is only about thirty kilometers from Mogadishu; from Mogadishu's harbor, shipping to the Middle East and Europe is easy. Especially with proximity on their side versus producers in Southeast Asia or the Americas, the advantage is huge. So long as they can grow bananas, profit is practically guaranteed.
Africa has a long history of banana cultivation, capable of competing with Southeast Asia and the Americas in that field.
"I hear Americans also plan to do banana farming in Latin America, so let's just focus on Europe and the Middle East," Ernst added.
U.S. banana cultivation was indeed just starting in that era, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean, not on U.S. soil. East Africa, on the other hand, would grow bananas in its own territory. Even if they didn't forcibly use slaves, it wouldn't be as despised as the Americans' so-called "banana republics."
"Cost-wise, ours might be a bit higher than in the U.S., but the real bottleneck for bananas, a tropical fruit, is preservation and transport. Against them, we have the entire Middle Eastern and European markets open to us," Ernst went on.
Tom ventured, "But can't European bananas also come from West Africa, like Spain, Britain, and France do?"
"Yes, of course," Ernst answered with a laugh. "That's the Atlantic side, though. Europe's big—Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Austria-Hungary—those are all ours for the taking."
Russia especially, with its cold climate, lacks tropical goods. Sure, India is relatively close, but Russian trade is centered in Eastern Europe. East Africa, via the Suez Canal and then through the Black Sea to Russian ports, might offer a better logistical route.
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