The Uganda National Banana Research Program (NBRP) is organising the first ever Matooke Food Festival aimed at promoting the uptake of NARO hybrid bananas varieties resistant to pests and diseases at a large scale.

The festival is scheduled to take place on Friday 7th May 2021 at Mifunya playground in Nakaseke District. This will be near one of the demo plantations for the hybrid banana cultivars.

Interesting blog? Like it on Facebook, +1 on Google, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.

This article is an excerpt of New Vision article

As matooke takes lead as a staple food in Uganda and some parts of East Africa, banana farmers and those willing to take on the enterprise were trained on the best agronomical practices at the 2021 Virtual Harvest Money Expo.

Dr. Priver Namanya speaking at the training session of the virtual Harvest Money expo.

Dr. Priver Namanya Bwesigye, the NARO Banana Research Program leader gave tips on banana farming. She was hosted together with Washington Mugerwa, a banana farmer from Nakaseke as experts to take farmers through all stages of growing bananas as a business.

During the training session of the virtual Harvest Money expo, Dr Namanya said to manage a banana plantation well, Agro-climate, Soil requirements, and land preparation are key environmental facts that must be considered.

Interesting blog? Like it on Facebook, +1 on Google, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.

The NARO banana agronomy team engaged Isingiro and Nakaseke district farmers in the importance of integrating use of manure and inorganic fertilizers (MOP + Urea) to improve their banana plantation and ensure productivity.

A NARO agronomist explaining to farmers how to effectively manage their plantations.

The Isingiro farmers’ field day held 11^th March 2021 attracted over 1000 farmers from wthin the district and neighboring districts. In Nakaseke district more than 400 banana farmers took part in the activity held at Kasaga parish.

According to Dr. Jerome Kubiriba, the Agronomy project leader, NARO, “aims at ensuring farmers achieve better bananas for health and wealth and sustainable banana productivity.”

Interesting blog? Like it on Facebook, +1 on Google, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.

NARO Uganda has formed a private wing to oversee commercialisation of all its technologies. This was revealed by the NARO Director General, Dr Ambrose Agona, during a dialogue meeting with the private sector in Kampala.

NARO staff at the meeting held at NARL Kawanda

In the meeting, which aimed at discussing approaches NARO will use in an effort to commercialise its technologies, Dr. Agona confirmed that NARO scientists are teaming up with private sector companies which are already conducting business using some of the products developed at the various Institutes.

Interesting blog? Like it on Facebook, +1 on Google, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.