Banana Wilt threatens food security

Banana Xanthomonas wilt has spread to 23 out of 30 districts in the country and has been declared a national threat by the Rwanda Agriculture Board.According to experts attending the National Banana Xanthomonas wilt workshop in Kigali, last week, the lack of funding and a clear national elimination policy has stalled a campaign to get rid of a deadly bacterial banana wilt disease that has spread to worrying levels.The disease has in the process threatened the positive achievements in food security.According to Dr William Tinzaar of Bioversity International, weak policies, leading to limited resource allocation to the problem, lack of initiatives like task forces and national action plan jeopardise the fight against the Banana wilt.Biodiversity International is a recognised leader in agricultural biodiversity research working with more than 700 partners around the world to improve the lives of smallholder farmers and rural communities.“Lack of integrated packages for disease and pest management, costly and non-user friendly technologies and negative attitudes towards technology are affecting the fight,” Dr Tinzaar said.The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Agnes Kalibata pointed out that districts task force and management committees will be established to work hand in hand with the local leaders to eradicate the disease.Kalibata is optimistic that the workshop provided guidance to local leaders and decision makers about the current spread and threat posed by the Banana Xanthomonas wilt disease in Rwanda.“As you know, banana is one of the priority crops, it has high potential for the economic development of the agricultural sector, serving as a food security crop with year round harvest, as well as being one of the main staples, particularly, for the growing urban population,” the Minister said.Banana Xanthomonas wilt is a dangerous and epidemic disease that causes 100% of yield losses, that has now spread to all banana growing regions in Rwanda and is threatening banana production national wide.According to the experts, the disease can only be contained if funding is secured for the fight against its spread.“There is need for more sensitisation about disease diagnosis, spread and control, these efforts have produced partial results and the disease has continued to spread into previously disease-free areas and to resurge in areas, where it had been controlled,” Tinzaar added.Banana Xanthomonas wilt is currently an epidemic in east and central Africa.Formerly in Ethiopia, it was confirmed in Uganda in 2001, DRC in 2004 (2001), Rwanda in 2005, Tanzania and Kenya in 2006.Farmers are advised to avoid moving banana leaves, stems or even bananas from places where the disease has been identified.Bananas are the world’s fourth most important food crop after rice, wheat, and maize.BXW symptoms include premature ripening of fruits, pale yellow ooze from cut surfaces, wilting of bracts and male buds, and progressive yellowing leading to complete wilting. Plants generally show symptoms within three weeks of infection.Fields infested with the bacteria cannot be replanted with banana for at least six months due to carry-over of soil-borne inoculum, according to a report titled Xanthomonas wilt, a threat to banana production in East and Central Africa, by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).