Dar experts on deadly banana disease lookout

TANZANIA’s agriculture researchers are on high alert to contain the outbreak of a deadly banana disease, said to wipe-out 100 per cent of a plantation.

The disease, Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) affecting Cavendish banana has already been reported in northern Mozambique -- near the country’s southern border.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Plant Virologist, Dr James Legg said Fusarium -- Panama disease -- is more deadly than the TR1, currently ravaging banana plantations in Kagera. “The best way of battling the disease is to contain it in Mozambique.

Hence stopping it from spreading to other countries,” Dr Legg told the 'Daily News.' He said that the disease spreads through infected planting material, soil and water, and it is widely recognised as the greatest threat to banana production.

To stop it reaching other areas, strict quarantine regulations are needed whereby moving infected soil, plants or parts of plants and stopping banana production in affected farms, should be done.

Dr Legg, a researcher based in Dar es Salaam, said they are worried that continued spreading of pathogens, beyond the current infested area, could have far-reaching consequences for Africa where banana is fourth most important food crop.

Despite the fact that TR4 affects Cavendish banana eaten as fruit when ripe, researchers currently do not know how many of local cooking banana will react to the TR4 infection. In Africa and Tanzania as well, over 75 per cent of banana are starchy cooking types. Tanzania ranks fourth in banana production in Africa.

It is estimated that Tanzania produces about 3.7 million metric tonnes annually on 403,000 hectares. Kilimanjaro and Kagera are the most famous banana growing regions, which jointly produce about 2.5 million metric tonnes annually.

According to a report by CGIAR, in northern Mozambique, it is estimated that affected farms has already lost more than 7.5 million US dollars due to TR4 infection. Also, over 500,000 plants -- more than 300 hectares -- have been affected by the pathogen since the outbreak, some three years ago.

The report further revealed that the farm is losing around 15,000 plants per week, equal to about 5.5ha translating to 235,000 US dollars a week. IITA is working closely with the Ministry of agriculture and currently surveillances are needed to assess the current status of TR4 since the country faces high-risk of the spread.

In East Africa, according to Analysis of the Banana Value Chains in Tanzania and Uganda 2012 report, bananas are an important staple and nutritional food and play a key role in food security. “In Uganda and Tanzania banana consumption --in total and per capita --is among the highest in the world.

They provide 10 per cent of the calorie intake of more than 70 million people,” the report revealed.

Over 4 million smallholder households cultivate bananas and plantain which provides an annual house-hold income of about 1,244 US dollars – one of the highest smallholder income-generating agricultural commodities in the region.