Shija Shilunga Lucas

Title : The Status of Banana Production in Tanzania; a Review of Threats and Opportunities

Abstract:

The word “banana” refers to a crop that cuddles a number of species commonly known as Musa spp. In Tanzania, the crop is the fourth most important crop for food and income generation for more than 30 percent of the total population. In East Africa, Tanzania is the second banana producer after Uganda. The country has the highest world’s consumption rate between 280-500 kg per person. Despite the crop’s importance its production has declined from 18 t/ha in the 1960s to 5-7 t/ha/year in 2016. This review examined the status of banana production by identifying threats and opportunities with the aim of providing readily available resource for Researchers and Agriculture Extension Officers for better banana production. Through online resources, the review identified the challenges impeding banana production and ascertaining prevailing opportunities. Banana production in Tanzania is faced with many challenges including major pests (weevil and nematode) and diseases (fusarium wilt disease, black sigatoka, and banana xanthomonas wilt disease), poor soil fertility, moisture stress, poor management practices, lack of improved banana varieties and many social economic factors. The review identified that, since 1990s there are few introduced improved banana varieties and that most of these varieties are faced with low consumer’s acceptability. Again the country is faced with shortage of banana breeding centers that could produce desirable banana hybrid cultivars. This review also identified the lack of banana information resources and research platforms that involves all banana stakeholders, making targeting of varietal attributes to consumer preferences very difficult. Therefore, in order to improve production there must be an inter-link among different research disciplines, involving governmental and non-governmental organizations, coming together and seek solutions to current and future problems for sustainable production of banana.

What will audience learn from your presentation?

1. My audience will learn

1. The importance of banana production in Tanzania
2. Major hindrances to banana production

2. Explain how the audience will be able to use what they learn?

•  The information shared in this presentation will enable my audience to secure both national and international intervention opportunities in many ways like research, projects

3. How will this help the audience in their job?

1. This report offers an opportunity to other faculty members to expand their research or teaching
2. It provides a practical solution to a problem that could simplify or make a designer’s job more efficient
3. It provides the accuracy of a research design and new information to assist in a design problem
4. For those who would wish to work in Tanzania in the area of banana production will have the opportunity to know where to start from.

Biography:

Shija Lucas joined the university of Dar es Salaam in 2013 where he  studied a bachelor of science with education BSc. ED. After completing, he joined the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology where he pursued a Master in Life Sciences.He has worked as Research assistant in the project titled “Banana Agronomy Project Tanzania, Bukoba-Kagera, The Communities Adjacent Lake Victoria”where he was involved in training farmers on the use of good banana agronomic practices, Preparing and organizing demonstration farms to help farmers adapt best agricultural farming techniques, educating on the importance of gender inclusion for successful agricultural performance. Shija Lucas is a passionate trainer and researcher with excellent presentation, mentoring, research and communication skills. Organized and driven with impressive list of achievements excelling within high-pressure environments. He is interested in applying the emerging sciences in a local way to solve different problems hindering development in the world. Moreover, he is interested in working with the marginalized groups in the country. He is a dedicated teacher and researcher in the fields of nutrition, gender, biodiversity and agriculture.