After great effort put into the official release in 2021 and multiplication of the four new, improved hybrids of the important staple cooking banana, “matooke”, commonly known as TARIBAN, the new hybrids planting materials have finally reached the smallholder farmers across the country to improve the banana production and improve farmers livelihoods in Tanzania.
The newly released varieties—TARIBAN 1, TARIBAN 2, TARIBAN 3, and TARIBAN 4—were distributed by Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in regions of Morogoro, Mbeya, Bukoba, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and other parts of Tanzania, including Zanzibar, Simiyu, Tanga, Dodoma, and Dar es Salaam.
Establishing TARIBAN varieties has brought hope in transforming banana production and enhancing the growth of the agriculture sector. “Over 28,280 banana plantlets have been multiplied with the assistance of Aarti Mahajan of MEDA and Vishnuardhan Banda of IITA and distributed to farmers in the promotion of the varieties during the field days in banana-producing regions across Tanzania,” said Fatuma Kirua, Research Officer from TARI Tengeru.
TARI Banana Lead Dr Mpoki Shimwale and his IITA–CGIAR counterpart, Dr Rony Swennen, noted that efforts made in setting up demonstration plots across diverse regions to showcase and support the best agronomical practices in banana cultivation, including the utilization of released varieties. Farmers and extension officers have actively participated, gaining hands-on experiences and practical knowledge to enhance their skills and expertise.
On the other hand, the beneficiaries now have aspirations from the hybrids; they have brought new hope and confidence to increase productivity and improve livelihoods through new market opportunities seen from the improved banana.
These hybrids are resistant to important pests and diseases ravaging the current varieties that millions of farmers across the country are growing and, as such, herald an exciting era for banana cultivation in the country. The distribution efforts are ongoing, and the team aims to distribute free plantlets to smallholder farmers during the upcoming national agricultural show (Nanenane), which will hold across the country.
The new matooke hybrids were first developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Agriculture Research Organization(NARO) of Uganda and named NARITAs. They were later tested in Tanzania by the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI) and its partners—IITA, NARO, and Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT—to identify those most suited to Tanzanian fields and farmers.
IITA, TARI, and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology have also developed high-yielding and resistant Mchare bananas, which are currently undergoing testing. “These hybrids will pass through the same rigorous testing, and we hope that these new banana hybrids will also be accepted soon,” says IITA Banana Breeder Dr Allan Brown.
Contributed by Gloriana Ndibalema
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