Moshi, TZ – Sustainable Banana Management – Jan 2023

Bananas have been one of the major ingredients in the children’s meals at Kahe primary schools through their Grow-own-Breakfast (GOB) program assisted by Tupendane and Better Lives. They have also been good for income generating in the market gardens cared for by the schools, which is very important for the program sustainability, by covering some operational costs and making the program self-sustained in the near future.

Tupendane is assisting the schools to increase the number of years a banana tree hole can produce good quality bunches of bananas in the gardens. Tracking records show that most of the holes currently produce 2 to 3 bunches, while a new design will improve the harvest rate per hole to up 5 years before closing the hole and opening a new one.

The improved design gives a longer resting time of the new hole to rest before new seedling is planted, first the 3 x 3 feet hole will stay one month empty so as to allow enough aeration into the soil for developing good population of required bacteria while at the same time pushing away any diseases and bad introduced bacteria in the soil by exposing them to no vectors / food. Later, the hole will be filled with mixed soil and manure and again be given another month of resting to allow the manure to get well decomposed and mixed in and after that is when the planting will happen.

The deeper hole will also support more stable shoots, which will give more support to new shoots to be stronger enough and bear good size banana bunches and also banana hole can last for up to 5 years with constant production.

This improved banana planting design can be scheduled to enable UK students who visit with True adventure to volunteer to dig new holes, mix soil and manure into rested holes, and plant and water new banana trees into the 2 month old prepared holes during the week they are here to assist the schools.