NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI — The current campaign by Gicumbi district authorities to cut down banana plants in the entire district has sparked outrage among residents.

Some farmers say the decision was ill-conceived and implemented hastily without prior sensitisation. It is not clear when the directive was issued, but reports indicate that it must have started a fortnight ago.

The exercise is being enforced by local leaders at cell and village levels across the district. When The New Times visted Byumba on Wednesday a number of plantations had been cut down.

According to local leaders, the plants are supposed to be replaced by other crops which are suitable for the area climate, as part of the agricultural reforms.

Charles Hakizimana, a farmer from Mutete Sector claims the decision to cut down the banana plantations has affected the food security in the area.

"The district directive to cut down all banana plantations has created food shortages among local communities whose livelihood depended on this crop,” said Hakizimana.

Contacted for a comment, the district Mayor Bonane Nyangezi, said the district was implementing a "directive” from the Ministry of Agriculture, in line with the crop specialisation initiative  - where a given district is expected to  specialise in growing particular crops.

"Banana plants need warm regions with average temperatures, which is the reason all banana plants here should be replaced with other crops such as Irish Potatoes, beans, wheat, tea, fruits and vegetables,” says Nyangezi.

He further argued that most banana plantations in the district have been in existence over the years but had failed to guarantee food security among residents, due to poor yields.

"In normal conditions, banana plants should be replaced after every five years,” added Nyangezi.

However, another farmer, Evariste Mbonyinshuti of Kibali Cell in the Byumba Sector, dismissed claims that the banana crop was  not productive.

Brandishing his account book, Mbonyinshuti claimed he has been earning an income of Rwf.30,000 per day after selling bunches of bananas from his plantation.

"These People initially taught us to space banana plants in order to harvest high yields, now they have all of a sudden brought down my entire banana plantation, bringing my income streams to a standstill,” he told The New Times.

Ildephonse Butera, the district vice Mayor in charge of economic affairs, said the farmers should offer no excuses because the sensitisation campaigns to replace banana plants with other crops has been going on in villages for a long time.

"Each banana plant cut down has been replaced by creeping beans, which produce a high yield in the shortest period possible,” he said.

However, Butera dismissed claims that the decision would affect all farmers, explaining that farmers whose plantations produce bunches weighing about 60kgs would not be affected.
When contacted to offer an expert opinion on the matter Dr. Fed Beed of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Kampala (Uganda), intimated that more sweeping reforms are required to improve African banana production.

Beed further explained that about 100 million people in sub- Saharan Africa are dependent  on bananas for their various  needs.

"Besides food , many other products such as beer, wine, juice, mats, hand bags and soap are made from bananas,” says Beed. He attributes low banana yields to lack of knowledge among most farmers on disease and pest control.

"Methods for control include destroying material that shows symptoms, in which case the farmer would be required to destroy the affected matter  to prevent further spread. Avoiding contimanation through farm implements is another measure used to curb the spread of the disease from one banana plant to another,” added Beed. 

Accoding to another researcher, Thomas Dubois, of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture, banana is essentially a tropical plant which requires a warm and humid climate.

Dubois explains that bananas can be cultivated in a temperature range of 10 to 40 degrees centigrade.

"Yields are higher when temperatures are above 24 and less than 35 degrees centigrade,” says Dubois. 

Ends