Working group participants: Lavern Gueco, Inge Van den Bergh, Anne Rietfeld, Dominique Dufour, Nicolas Roux, Jim Lorenzen
The group first estimated a biological yield potential for monoculture under best growing conditions of 55 to 61 t/ha/year. They then analyzed two cases:
1. Location: India, Southern India - Cultivar name: Karpooravalli (Pisang Awak) - Production system: Small-holder monoculture 1+2, irrigated
2. Location: Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern DRC - Cultivar name: Kayinja (Pisang Awak) - Production system: Low-maintenance, perennial, rain-fed, low-density
in terms of factors explaining yield variability in farmer fields. Then, they identified factors linked to market and post-harvest, gender and household resource endowment and trends and changes in markets, climate and disease presence in the same cases. Based on the discussion, they identified the following 7 intervention options which could contribute improved yield and income with applicability across major smallholder production zones. Most important to least important:
1. Improved processing; development of better high-value products (reasons: high yield potential, consumer preference, high Brix)
2. Value chain development: Increase production and link farmers with urban processors, and development of rural processing facilities, product differentiation/diversification (quality, packaging, …), improved transport and marketing opportunities (now it is second-priority after Grand Nain)
3. Increased use of GR (screen of ABB types for East Africa) for productivity and Foc and BXW resistance, including selection of better clonal variants, and GMOs for BXW and Foc
4. Access to high-yielding, disease-free good planting material
5. Improved field management (disease - Foc, BXW, BBrMV, irrigation, desuckering, weeding, …) and extension (mindset has to be changed)
6. Improved labour use efficiency, both in production and processing
7. Explore new production areas
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