Increasing banana production and productivity through banana rehabilitation in Kabushinge Cell

JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT

Banana has carried significant importance to Rwanda’s dietary for a long time. On average, every Rwandan consumes approximately 227 kilograms per year (source: RAB, 2017). Apart from the increasing on demand at the household level, demand has been also coming from processing factories. Banana provides food as well as desert, beer, fertilizer, wine, and plays a huge role in protecting environment hence preventing climatic change. Banana planted in Rwanda are categorized into 3 categories; Banana which are cooked, dessert banana also known as banana fruits, and beer bananas which are used to blew wines and beer The last ones predominate the production at 70%. 

In some areas in Rwanda, local farmers still plant traditional banana varieties that only produce very low quantity of production, around five to three kilograms per plant. Experts in agriculture sector urge that this approach should change as it cannot either satisfy people’s demand or help our country with small land. However, that technology and good agricultural practices should be enhanced to increase the banana production to the satisfactory level. The challenge of low productivity and production is general in most parts of the country and particularly in our operating areas.

Due to the problem of low production, farmers switched to other crops to replace banana plantations, however, considering economic importance of banana and its high demand in Musanze Town as “Banana from Bugarura”. 

In consideration of the role played by banana plants in soil protection against erosion, TRIP organization conceived the project titled “Increasing banana production and productivity through banana rehabilitation in Kabushinge Cell” in order to promote banana plantations using modern agricultural technologies, and participate in solving challenges highlighted in SDG: No hunger, poverty eradication and climate change.

RELEVANCE

Relevancies of the project 

The relevance of the project are summarized in the following aspects:

• Enhancing production of banana by replanting new species of banana;
• Enhancing productivity of banana plantation by revising methods of planting
• Production of banana is all most zero in Kabushinge cell;
• Rehabilitation in kabushinge Cell, Rwaza sector

Problems to be resolved and the needs to be met 

• Food security: No hunger, no malnutrition and no stunting;
• Climate change: Against soil erosion;
• Poverty.

Actors involved

Major participants of the project are:

• TRIP founding members;
• Urungano members;
• Some individuals from category one of Ubudehe.

Objectives and expected project results

The main objective of this project is increasing productivity and production of banana plantation.

The project has the following particular objectives:

• Enhancing the capacity of access to money;
• Struggling against stunting and malnutrition;
• Struggling against soil erosion;

METHODOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY:

Main project activities 

• Planting new banana in the abandoned/ former lands of banana plantation of people by themselves;
• Renewing the unproductive/underproductive plants of banana by people;
• Mobilizing people about banana plantation via Urungano members:
• School trip to persons interested in banana plantation;
• Organizing a marketplace for the production;
• Encouraging farmers to participate in the organized exhibitions, with banana crops they will have produced;
• Production of new modern plants to be distributed to farmers in need.
• Promotion of the idea: “Five rehabilitated banana per family”

The main implementing partners

• The main implementing partners of this project are members of Urungano;
• Famers who will be mobilized and accept to rehabilitate their banana plantations

Waited effects from the project

• People will turn over this kind of planting;
• People will improve their decent living conditions:
• Dropout will be eradicated;
• Payments of health insurance will be facilitated;
• People will move from low categories of ubudehe to upper;
• The soil erosion will be stopped;

EXPERTISE AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITY

Experience of TRIP in project management

TRIP has got expert who are experienced in project management. It has got a managing committee composed of persons who have got high degrees and its technical team has got persons who are experience.

We realized and executed many projects such as: Stride to the Development “Intambwe”, Progressive terracing for a sustainable environment, Bee farming in Kabushinge cell, Support to quality of education with unlock literacy. Those all projects have been well done.