Global collaboration for banana innovation: IITA and CATAS team up to boost banana sustainability and productivity

11 September 2024

Banana is one of the staple crops worldwide, following rice, wheat, and maize. It is a vital source of potassium, vitamins A and C, and dietary fiber. While it is essential for maintaining food and nutrition security for people in producing countries, it also plays a huge role in the economies of these countries, supporting the livelihood of smallholder farmers and plantation workers.

As a mandate crop in IITA, the institute has actively researched banana and plantain, focusing on improving crop yields, pest and disease resistance, and overall sustainability. So far, there have been programs, some of which are focused on accelerating the breeding cycle to provide new varieties faster, as well as addressing the challenges of pests and diseases empathically in East and Central Africa.

There have also been collaboration programs with local and international banana breeding programs to attain a sustainable future for the crop. One instance of this is the visit by Professors Jianghui Xie and Jingyang Li of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) to IITA headquarters in Ibadan on 3 September.

The visit explored collaboration opportunities in banana resource innovation and extended opportunities for short-term positions for IITA banana experts at CATAS under China's talent program.

During the meeting, IITA Banana and Plantain Breeding Program Head Rony Swennen welcomed the guests to the institute while introducing the staff members present. He reiterated all IITA's research activities on banana. "According to FAO, around 180 million metric tons of banana are produced globally annually. This meeting is of great value to us because China is the largest banana producer worldwide after India, with 12 million tons produced annually. Nigeria produces half of that, and we need to augment that," he said.

IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery (DDG-P4D) Kenton Dashiell expressed delight at the knowledge sharing, which made the meeting beneficial to both parties. He also welcomed further conversation to develop a plan for both teams to work together.

Contributed by Tolulope Akinola

Related story: https://www.iita.org/news-item/iita-signs-mou-with-catas-on-improved-crop-varieties-and-cultivation-techniques/

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