An Economic Assessment of Banana Genetic Improvement and ...

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BANANA-GROWING HOUSEHOLDS AND BANANA CULTIVARS 59
Table 5.13 Percentage of farmers growing improved banana cultivars, Uganda
Elevation
Exposure
Cultivar type
Low High Exposed Not exposed
All
Exotic or hybrid 2.5** 0.0** 3.6 2.0 2.2
Elite endemic 7.5** 0.0** 6.2 6.7 6.7
All improved or introduced 9.9** 0.0** 9.5 8.7
8.8
Notes: ** indicates statistical significance at the 5 percent level in the difference of means or distributions
across elevations within the country. Exotic refers to introduced farmers’ cultivars; elite endemic refers to
endemic types selected and enhanced by the National Agricultural Research Organization; and all improved
or introduced combines exotic, elite endemic, and hybrid categories.
EAHBs continue to dominate banana groves.
Yangambi Km 5 is a landrace or farmer
cultivar, grouped here with hybrids only
because it has been introduced recently.
Hybrids include FHIA01, FHIA03, FHIA17,
and FHIA23. The elite endemic cultivar is
Mpologoma. Mpologoma was selected,
propa gated with tissue culture, and disseminated
by NARO. The estimated fraction of
farmers using any type of improved banana
in Uganda is only 9 percent (Table 5.13), all
of whom are located in the low-elevation
areas. Farmers in commercial growing areas
of southwestern Uganda are generally more
content with their available clones than
those in less productive areas, such as the
lowland areas of central Uganda, where
productivity has declined.