Joel Ogwang
6 July 2005
Kampala — UGANDA will cut its banana production capacity to nearly half of what currently makes it the world's second biggest producer by 2020, a research by Makerere University's Department of Soil Science has shown.
Prof. Julius Zaake, the head of MUK's department of Soil Science said potassium, nitrogen and calcium deposits that are vital nutrients and minerals, were quickly depleting because of crude farming methods.
"Our farmers are continuing to plant and harvest bananas without doing anything to enable the soil regain lost nutrients," he said recently.
According to a Presidential Initiative for Banana Industrial Development project statistics, Uganda, second to India, produces 8.6m metric tonnes (30% of the world's banana production)
Cultivated by 75% of the farmers, its plantation covers 1.2m hectares (37% farm land) and constitutes the chief dietary component for more than 60% of the urban population.
Zaake said magnesium and sulphur, equally important major nutrients, should be available to ensure sustainable quality and quantity.
He said Uganda's soils lose 171 Kg/ha of nitrogen, 18Kg/ha of potassium, 207Kg/ha of calcium and 270Kg/ha magnesium annually.
Zaake said Bushenyi district, the leading producer of bananas, currently experiences the highest nutrients loss.
He said the banana wilt disease is another serious problem to the industry.
"The disease has destroyed many plantations in Mukono and Kayunga districts that were once the country's leading banana producers," he said.
He identified some of the organic ways of restoring the nutrients as mulching, agro-forestry, application of compost and livestock manure and use of rhizobia to enhance nitrogen input.
He urged farmers to practice irrigation and urged the Government to provide farmers with water from lakes and rivers.
"Irrigation is one of the most effective, environmentally friendly and cost-effective agricultural practice," Zaake said.
He said irrigation of the bananas has been the back borne of the agricultural revival in India now, the green revolution.
Zaake said bananas have a lot of market potential locally and internationally, that if fully exploited could be the perfect answer to Uganda's unending poverty.
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