Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

764 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 4
False Horn plantain and Bluggoe are grown for local consumption. For most farmers only
one variety is important, but they usually have some plants of other varieties.
Varietal adaptability influences their distribution. For example, plantains are more
popular in the Chinandega department than Bluggoe because of Moko disease. The opposite
is the case in the Leon department because Bluggoe is more drought tolerant.
Reasons to produce a variety
Farmers grow a variety because of its resistance to pests and diseases or because it
produces more income and has a greater demand in the market. Resistance means
resistance to Moko, to which Bluggoe is very susceptible (Table 7). Only 12% of the
farmers said that they chose a variety for reasons of home consumption; 15% planted a
variety because it was the only one they could get.
In the department of Leon resistance to drought is the most important reason to
plant a variety (Table 7). In Chinandega resistance to diseases and pests and the combination
of income and a greater market demand are more important.
The argument that a variety provides more income and has a greater demand in the
market are of course important for big farmers. They are nevertheless also important for
the other classes. Thirty-seven percent of the farmers of class 1 and 2; 43% of the farmers
of class 3 and 33% of farmers of class 4 gave that answer.
The home consumption argument is only important for farmers of class 1. It is also
important for only 10% of the farmers of the other classes. Resistance to diseases and pests
is important for all classes except 5. The other arguments are of variable importance.
Farmers linked the arguments about income and market as well as resistance to
diseases and pests to the False Horn plantain. Plantains have an established demand in
the market and a better price (100 fingers of plantains fetch $3.50 but only $1.50 for
Table 7. Reasons to plant a variety (%).
class 1 class 2 class 3 class 4 class 5 Leon Chinandega Total
It brings me more
income
It has a better
15.6 8.6 14.3 26.7 50.0 12.9 16.4 15
market
It has a higher
21.9 28.6 28.6 6.7 50.0 6.5 31.3 23
productivity
It is resistant to
3.1 2.9 0.0 13.3 0.0 3.2 4.5 4
diseases and pests
For home
43.8 42.9 35.7 26.7 0.0 19.4 47.8 38
consumption
I can only get
21.9 8.6 7.1 6.7 0.0 16.1 10.4 12
this variety
It is resistant
9.4 17.1 14.3 26.7 0.0 12.9 16.4 15
to drought 9.4 17.1 21.4 13.3 0.0 38.7 3.0 14