Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

720 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 4
dans le jardin, de l’acquisition des rejets, de la plantation des rejets, de la lutte contre les
ravageurs et les maladies, du tuteurage, de l’enlèvement des souches après récolte et de
la transplantation des rejets. En revanche, ce sont principalement les épouses qui prennent
les décisions dans des domaines tels que l’application d’engrais (déchets ménagers),
la reconnaissance des fruits mûrs, l’enlèvement des feuilles sèches proches du sol et la
surveillance des feux (en particulier pendant la saison sèche pour la prévention des
incendies), la commercialisation des régimes et des feuilles récoltés. La majorité (76,2 %)
des paysans utilisent les cultivars locaux de Musa et le matériel de plantation (rejets) est
acquis principalement auprès des autres paysans (77 %). Une forte proportion d’entre
eux (85,5 %) n’est pas au courant de l’existence des cultivars améliorés de Musa. Environ
98 % des paysans accepteraient de planter les cultivars améliorés s’ils étaient faciles à
obtenir.
Abstract
The bulk of banana and plantain production in south-eastern Nigeria is in the hands of
rural households. Most of these crops are established in backyard farms. Backyard
banana and plantain production involves different cultural operations which entail the
decision-making role of the households. The study was specifically designed to: (1)
determine the primary reasons for backyard banana and plantain cultivation in the
Nsukka agro-ecological zone of southeastern Nigeria; (2) determine banana and plantain
production preference among Musa growers in the study area; (3) examine the
household decision-making role in backyard banana and plantain production in the
study area; and (4) assess the adoption potentials of improved cultivars of banana and
plantain among Musa growers in the study area. Data for the study were collected from
126 Musa growers through the use of a structured interview schedule. Statistics such as
percentages and mean scores were used in the data analysis. The findings revealed that
95.2% of the farmers embarked on backyard Musa production primarily because they
served as a source of food to members of their households. About 14% of the farmers
grew banana only (with a total of 82 stands); 31.7% grew plantain only (with a total of
424 stands); while 54.0% grew both banana and plantain (with a total of 1 487 stands).
The mean number of plants per farmer was 16. The husbands played a larger decisionmaking
role than their wives in certain aspects such as Musa cultivation initiation,
dictating where the suckers were to be planted within the yard, procurement of suckers,
planting of suckers, pest/disease control, staking, removal of stumps after harvesting and
transplanting of suckers. On the other hand, the wives played a larger decision-making
role than their husbands in areas such as manure (household waste) application,
recognition of mature fruits, removal of dry leaves that are close to the ground and firetracing
(especially, during dry season to prevent burning), marketing of harvested
bunches and leaves. The majority (76.2%) of the farmers grew the local cultivars of Musa
plants and their basic source of planting materials (suckers) was their fellow farmers
(77.0%). Most (85.5%) were unaware of the existing improved Musa cultivars. About
98% of the farmers were willing to grow the improved Musa cultivars if they can be
made readily available.