Boosting banana productivity in Tanzania: Farmer reaps rewards with up to three-fold increase
In Tanzania, where demand for bananas is high, banana farmers face the challenge of low productivity caused by pests and diseases and limited basic knowledge on banana management practices. The ‘Improving banana agronomy practices for small scale farmers in highland banana cropping systems East Africa’ project set a goal to raise banana productivity in Tanzania from 10mt/ha/yr to 25 mt/ha/year. The banana agronomy project which is led by National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) is implemented in partnership with Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Bioversity International, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and CABI is also operated in Uganda.
‘Banana and I’: Sharing the ‘appeal’ of better banana management in Uganda through drama
CABI has worked with farmers to develop a video drama on the subject with five episodes translated into two languages. Created for small scale banana farmers in Uganda with contributions from farmers, the dramas are also performed by farmers themselves to increase their local appeal, encourage more efficient farming practices and ultimately increase productivity for banana growers.