By Grace Phiri
Malawi is yet to get back to normal banana production levels, a decade after the country鈥檚 fourth biggest staple after maize, rice and cassava was wiped out by banana bunchy top virus.
The virus, which led to yield losses of between 70 percent and 90 percent in the first season, affecfed livelihoods of about 200 000 farmers, particularly in Thyolo and Mulanje as output levels declined by about 300 metric tonnes (MT).
Banana Growers Association of Malawi president Lemet Mthuzi Makombe said in an interview on Friday that the situation has left Malawi with a banana deficit as farmers still lack knowledge on the best varieties, forcing consumers to turn to neighbouring countries such as Tanzania and Mozambique for imports.
He said: 鈥淏anana bunchy top virus is still affecting banana farmers, especially those who do not have knowledge on this disease.
鈥淲e are reducing this challenge through provision of new varieties of banana that are resistant to the virus. We are also providing training.鈥
Makombe said the 4 500-member group provides a platform for banana farmers to learn more about the crop鈥檚 farming and management as well as providing agricultural equipment loans to registered members to narrow the deficit.
鈥淲e are planning to open banana mega farms and a banana farming training centre where we will be teaching farmers on banana farming and marketing,鈥 he said.
Published data from Mwapata Institute show that banana production volumes hover around 200 000MT, below the 500 000MT the country was producing before the virus.
On the other hand, banana yield for Malawi subsistence and smallholder farmers range from 11 to 19MT per hectare against a potential yield of 50MT per hectare, according to the institute.
Speaking separately, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Centre for Agricultural Research and Development director Innocent Pangapanga Phiri said the negative productivity shock induced by virus has triggered a series of interrelated challenges, including income losses, reduced domestic supply, rising banana prices, declining consumption, affecting full-scale sectoral recovery.
He said fruits contribute 2.1 percent to the country鈥檚 total exports, adding that any shrinkage deepens Malawi鈥檚 structural trade deficit.
Speaking in November last year after injecting K90 million towards the establishment of banana demonstration plots in Thyolo and Mulanje lto revive large-scale commercial production of the crop, National Bank of Malawi plc chief executive officer Harold Jiya said Malawi is currently importing approximately 20 000MT of bananas annually costing about $4 million (about K7.1 billion).
Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba is on record as having said Malawi is not producing enough bananas to meet the country鈥檚 demand, turning to imports from neighbours.
Africa鈥檚 Banana Bunchy Top Disease Alliance said up to 16 countries in Africa have been hit by the virus, which renders plants unproductive.