Disease threatens banana crop

By Ally Jamah

The multi-million shilling banana industry is being threatened by banana bunchy top, a disease that causes banana leaves to sprout from the top of the plant stunting growth.

The viral disease that spreads epidemically has devastated crop in central and southern Africa.

The revelation came to the fore as top plant scientists met in Arusha to strategise on urgent measures to combat the virulent banana disease that may worsen food security prospects for 30 million people.

"I was shocked to discover how little attention the disease has received yet it completely eliminates yields, " says Dr Simon Eden-Green, a consultant with the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Although banana is not a staple food, millions of shillings worth of the crop are consumed every year as a ripe fruit or cooked.

In Malawi, a survey found 45,000 hectares of bananas was completely wiped out by the disease.

Leading producer

Uganda, Africa’s leading producer and consumer of bananas, is also facing a similar threat, a fact which raises stakes since Kenya imports a lot of bananas its neighbour.

All but the traditional varieties of bananas in Sub-Saharan Africa lack tolerance to the disease, which necessitates drastic and expensive control measures such as completely excavating entire banana fields and treating them with pesticides, or burning the plants in order to completely, destroy the diseases.

The Arusha meeting brought together about 60 scientists to exchange experiences and best practices in the management of banana diseases.

Participants will develop national and regional strategies that will form the basis for coordinated actions such as surveillance, research and extension.

They discussed ways to effectively respond to diseases that threaten banana production in Africa.