Navuso is set to pioneer the first commercial Tissue Culture Banana Plantation.

This innovative venture marks a significant leap forward in banana cultivation, integrating advanced technology with meticulous agronomic practices.

Additionally, this initiative will include training and workshops to educate farmers from key banana-growing regions.

Ministry of Agriculture Director Research Officer Shailendra Prasad says Banana is a national crop, and this training will help maintain this crop in the country.

“Banana was our major economic crop, but the banana is still there in the flag, so we need to do something to keep banana, as a national crop, We are starting with Navuso, we are handing over this, I think it’s about 500 tissue culture seedlings, and this is the first institute or first farm that we will be establishing a tissue culture plantation of commercial, of a tissue culture planting in a commercial scale.”

He adds that they will keep providing training to farmers and students nationwide.

“My aim is to establish one hectare, one hectare of tissue culture banana plantation on a commercial basis, and with assistance and technology from our friends, Taiwan Technical Mission, we will continue training farmers and students so that they develop this technology, they adopt this technology of commercial banana cultivation.”

Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute Principal Uraia Waibuta says this will boost morale despite past challenges.

“Despite the situation that the institution is going through, we wanted to be seen in continuing with these particular activities looking at the future of the institute and the crop itself.”

Banana is mainly sold in the local market, so through this farming activity, the Ministry of Agriculture is conducting research and development work to reopen the export market.