Banana, cassava diseases attack 47 districts

 

The government is to fund the research into banana wilt and cassava streak disease, President Yoweri Museveni has said. 

 

He made the announcement on Wednesday while meeting with district chairpersons,

extension workers, Chief Administrative Officer s, district agricultural officers, farmers and ministry of 

Agriculture officials at Mbale Resort hotel in Mbale town.

 

He said that the growing of the crops is being affected by a number of diseases affecting house hold incomes as well as creating a famine threat. 

 

The President directed the agriculture ministry to fund researchers to study the cause of the problem to come up with an appropriate remedy. He added that communities would be educated on howto prevent the spread of the diseases.

 

“The challenge is, the Members of parliament are frustrating government programmes. When we raise a suggestion of getting some loans, they oppose it forgetting that the people they represent are going hungry and poverty stricken because of these crop diseases,”    Museveni said.

 

The districts that have been hit by the two diseases include:

Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Mbarara, Kiboga, Mubende, Luwero, Kayunga, Masindi, Kamuli,

Mbale, Bududa, Manafwa, Sironko, Bulambuli, Pallisa, Kibuku, Budaka among others.

 

Museveni revealed that government is developing new banana variety that is resistant to banana wilt. He advised the famers to avoid using the same agricultural tools to cut affected banana plants and healthy ones.

 

The commissioner for crop protection in the ministry of agriculture, Komayombi Bulegeya, said 85% of banana farmers know how to control the spread of the banana wilt disease and 30% of the farmers are aware of effective control of the disease.

 

He said that for these diseases to be effectively be controlled, there is need for all the farmers in the villages, both affected and non-affected, to get involved in controlling the disease