Impact of banana bacterial wilt and it’s control practices on household incomes in South - Western Uganda

Abstract

Household income of banana producing households has since 2002 been faced with various constraints including Banana Bacterial Wilt (BXW or BBW) caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv musacearum. In 2013, BBW prevalence and incidence increased rapidly in the South-Western sub-region of the country, the home to over 70% of Uganda’s banana. Luckily, there was an intervention to control BBW using cultural practices. Hence, information on application of these practices was disseminated to banana farmers in the sub-region including Ibanda and Ntungamo districts. Against this background a study was conducted in Ibanda and Ntungamo districts to determine the Impact of BBW and its Control Practices on Household Incomes in South-Western Uganda. The study was conducted using Difference in Difference impact evaluation design, Ordinary Least Squares and fractional regression techniques. The findings of the study show that low BBW incidence had no significant effect on banana productivity compared to No BBW. However, high BBW incidence, above 20% (100 affected banana plants per acre or 200 affected plants per hectare), reduced banana yield by 23% which was averagely 222.80 bunches per hectare per year. Economically, the loss was valued at two hundred eighty nine (289) US Dollars per hectare per year. The study also observed that whereas, all farmers were adopting some BBW control practices, it is only the entire package that eliminates BBW. Hence, partial adoption of BBW Control Practices, led to a recovery of 56% of productivity, while a full package, at 80% and above adoption level caused a productivity recovery of 89% which was estimated at 198.29 bunches per hectare per year. Consequently, partial adoption had an economic value of one hundred forty four (144) US Dollars while high adoption had an economic value of two hundred and three (203) US Dollars per hectare per year. The study noted that household socio-economic characterstics of gender and ownership of cutting tools influence the extent of adoption of BBW control practices. The study further observed that farmer to farmer extension approach increased access to relevant information for BBW control and could be harnessed to ensure simple enforcement mechanisms required by the community to minimize BBW prevalence. It is important that the promotion and enforcement strategies should encourage banana farmers to adopt a complete package and not a partial package if BBW is to be properly controlled. The complete package includes avoidance of spreading BBW by cutting the male bud using a forked stick, use of clean planting materials, cutting down BBW infected plants, disinfecting tools using jik or fire, as well as suspension of use of farm tools in affected plantations.