National Banana Research Program

Banana is the most important staple food crop for more than 12 millions Ugandans who live in Southern Uganda. The crop is grown on about 1.5 million ha of land, which represents about 38% of total arable land in the country. Analysis of reasons why farmers ranked the banana as their most important staple food revealed that what endears the crop to them includes:
All year round generation of family revenue: Unlike most crops, which are harvested seasonally, the banana fruits all the year round. Farmers have acclaimed this attribute as extremely important for food and income security. Any time you will have a banana bunch, which you can cook or sell to solve unforeseen family problems.

In Southern Uganda, the banana alternates with coffee as a leading generator of family income. It is estimated that a well-managed plantation generates a net income of 1.0-2.5 million Uganda shillings/ha/year depending on the location. High industrial potential that is yet to be exploited.

The high starch content on dry matter basis, excellent texture in cooked form and flat taste (contributing little to composites with other foods) give banana a high potential in the food industry. Currently, banana processing is largely restricted to juice, beer/wine and gin production in crude forms. Improving quality of these products has a potential to open another industrial opportunity that awaits exploitation.

Despite the described importance, the banana productivity has been in continuous decline in recent years. In the past, banana was a highly sustainable crop in Uganda, with long plantation life and stable yields. Indeed in some areas, gardens of 50-100 years still exist. However, the frequency of replanting in central Uganda is currently as short as 3-5 years.

The decline in banana yields has resulted in a change in the banana production patterns. There has been a spatial shift from the traditional banana growing areas of central and eastern Uganda to the south west. In addition, a varietals shift from the indigenous cooking and beer banana types to the introduced beer banana, locally known as Kayinja as well as a shift from banana cultivation to other crops, particularly cassava, sweet potato and maize, has occurred in the central and parts of eastern Uganda.
Despite these shifts, farmers rank banana the most preferred food and have demanded to be taught how to produce it successfully. Reversing the decline and bringing back sustainability of banana production is a big challenge to Uganda, for which the National Banana Research Programme (UNBRP) was created in 1989.
The National Banana Research Programme objectives:
The banana research efforts are centered on four principal objectives:
Developing banana genotypes with resistance to weevils, black Sigatoka and nematodes
Evaluating improved local and foreign germplasm under different ecological conditions and bulking farmer acceptable cultivars for dissemination.
Developing biological and cultural control options for management of weevils and nematodes.
Accelerating transfer of improved banana technologies to farmers and other stakeholders through on-farm research.