The contestations of diversity, culture and commercialization: why tissue culture technology alone cannot solve the banana Xanthomonas wilt problem in central Uganda

Abstract

Several initiatives by the Government of Uganda, Research Institutes and CGIAR centers have promoted the use of tissue culture (TC) banana technology as an effective means of providing clean planting material to reduce the spread of Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) but its uptake is still low. We examine factors that constrain uptake of tissue culture banana planting materials in central Uganda by considering the cultural context of banana cultivation. Data were collected using eight focus group discussions involving 64 banana farmers and 10 key informant interviews and subjected to thematic analysis. Results showed that banana cultivars in the study communities were important for food, cultural practices and medicine. Cultivars supplied through TC were based on commercial considerations focusing on market value and household income and insufficient attention was given to their cultural importance. Farmers regard banana from TC planting material to be incompatible with their tastes and preferences for traditional food and drinks, culture and medicine. Furthermore, the plantlets are perceived as complicated to use, and farmers report requiring more knowledge and information on how to plant and maintain the plantlets on-farm. In these aspects, TC planting material does not align with cultural values linked to societal welfare. Future efforts aimed at controlling pests and diseases would benefit from more location-specific and holistic approaches that integrate cultural dimensions alongside planting material hygiene, quality and vigor.

Overview of the Current Status of Uganda’s Banana Sector: Formalizing the Matooke Sector may not be the Best Policy Option

“…Uganda can be described as a rural economy since agricultural activities dominate local livelihoods and involve over 70% of the total labor force of the country [1]. Banana is a major food crop for half of the Ugandan population, and approximately 75% of the Ugandan farmers cultivate it [2,3]. The country records the highest per capita consumption of banana in the world or 220-400 kg per annum, and the crop is estimated to provide Ugandans with up to 30% of their daily caloric intake [3 -5].…”

“…The country records the highest per capita consumption of banana in the world or 220-400 kg per annum, and the crop is estimated to provide Ugandans with up to 30% of their daily caloric intake [3 -5]. Banana plants deliver a continuous supply of food and income through the asynchronous fruiting habit, and the crop's contribution to household food and income security is acknowledged by the Ugandan government as a prioritized crop [3,6]. Banana plants are also integral for other daily usages; the pseudo-stems are used for animal fodder; the fibers for ropes, mats, and baskets; the leaves for mulching, packaging, and food-wrapping; some cultivars for medicinal purposes [7].…”

“…Farmers in Uganda often grow multiple cultivars of those types, and the cooking type or East African Highland Banana (EAHB, Musa spp., group AAA-EA) dominates the type-cultivar mixed banana stands across the country [9]. The cooking type, locally known as matooke, contributes to approximately 90% of all bananas produced in the country, and 97% of the sampled banana-producing households were found to grow at least one cooking banana variety [1,3,8]. Banana production in Uganda has been driven mainly by household consumption rather than commercial goals [8].…”

The Influence of Complexity on the Adoption of Tissue Culture Banana Seedlings in Tanzania

“…The global export data for bananas is almost 22.7 million tonnes, and this data represents nearly 20% of global production. To the best of my knowledge, the current banana trade is valued at USD 11 billion (FAO, 2020;Voora et al, 2020;Mulugo et al, 2022). The global consumption of bananas is estimated to grow by 1.21% for the forecast period of 2019-2024 and Ecuador in the year 2023 exports to the European Union, Russia, the Middle East, the United States of America, and the Far East reached 35 million boxes, which is about 8% increase.…”

“…In Tanzania, the propagation system is characterised by both formal and informal plant material supply. Most small farmers who grow bananas (Musa spp) get seedlings from informal sources (Mulugo et al, 2022). Similarly, in Kilimanjaro, the production of bananas dropped from 968,060 tonnes during the 2018/2019 season to 852,682 tonnes in the 2019/20 season.…”