Commercialisation of Banana Tissue Culture

COMMERCIALISING RAPID –MULTIPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES, AND NEW MODELS THAT DRIVE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT INTO VPC SEED SYSTEMS-RAPID BANANA IN UGANDA.

CHAIN UGANDA have innovatively been working around this obstacle by closely working with Tissue culture lab that is SENAI and Satellite local nurseries. Satellite TC nurseries are equipped with capabilities of handling delicate TC materials in the bottles; pot them, raise them through humid chambers and harden them at district level.  Materials are then distributed to individuals or groups.

CHAIN UGANDA is a business that builds the capacity of smallholder women and youth farmer groups by deepening their participation in profitable value chains. CHAIN builds self-reliance at communities and households by empowering them to access agro-technologies, nutrition, linking farmers to profitable markets and widening financial inclusion. Banana seedling business is one of CHAIN’s core nursery operations in satellite nurseries located in Mityana, Mpigi, Masaka, Rakai, Luwero, Nakaseke, Kamuli,  Buyende, Hoima and Mbarara districts.

Quality planting material is the single most important agro-input affecting banana productivity; in fact, it contributes over 50% of the yield, while crop management and other factors contribute the remaining 50%. However, the quality of banana planting material farmers use is very poor.

The specific objectives of the program: