Uganda and Tanzania consume 50 per cent of bananas grown in Africa, but realise only nine per cent of the potential yield due to low productivity caused by pests and diseases.
The two eastern African countries do not feature among the leading exporters of the food crop in Africa because of little efforts to boost production, quality and secure foreign markets, experts have said.
“Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon are the two leading banana exporters in Africa. What is wrong with us in East Africa?” asked Dr Cyprian Ebong, the acting executive secretary of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (Asareca).
Dr Ebong was speaking at the launch of a $13.8 million Breeding Better Bananas (BBB), a banana improvement project targeting Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia. The three and a half-year project aims at improving productivity of the crop and make it a traded commodity through marker assisted hybrid selection.
He said although banana is both a food and cash crop, the region has failed to exploit the potential due to poor production technologies coupled with disease and pest attacks.
Banana production in the East African Community bloc generates US$4.3b annually, accounting for five per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
But to boost productivity that would lead to increased commercialisation of the crop, research will be intensified for high yielding and disease resistant breeds, Dr. Ebong added.
In a related development, the vice chancellor of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Prof Karoli Njau, has said the Pan African University will establish a centre of excellence on banana research.
“The centre is geared for improved management in banana production. We will deal with banana pests and diseases,” Prof. Njau says.
He further says that although over 50 million people in East African region depend on highland bananas for their food and income, the average smallholder productivity has remained as low as less than 30 per cent.
According to Prof Njau, banana farmers in EA produce a small portion – about nine per cent of what is possible – largely due to the devastating impact of pests and diseases.
