November 4, 2002	Monday	Sha’aban 28,1423

Banana, the second largest fruit crop of Pakistan was introduced in Sindh, in 1913. Initially, seven varieties were brought from Mumbai, 15 from Puna, Kolkata and Sri Lanka, and eight from Bangladesh.

Among all the varieties, the Cavendish, locally known as Basrai gave the most outstanding results and was released for general cultivation. Presently, Cavendish variety holds almost 98 per cent of banana plantation in Sindh. In 1969 another variety Willium Hybrid was brought from Australia. Its cultivation exists, but in patches mainly along side the bunds as a wind breaker. As per Pakistan Statistical Yearbook 2001, the total area of banana in the country is 28,000 hectares of which 24,000 hectares is grown in Sindh province alone.

Banana has potentials to provide employment to tens of thousands of farm workers in rural Sindh, besides creating job opportunities for thousands of urban/rural contractors, transporters, commission agents, wholesalers, and retailers. The local district and provincial governments, both get their share in the form of Ushar, water charges, district tax, etc. But unfortunately this crop was invaded by an exotic disease at Thatta in 1988, which in 1991 was identified as the Banana Bunehy Top Disease (BBTD) by a world’s top most banana expert R.H. Stover of the USaid. Reportedly, this disease devastated almost 60 per cent banana acreage in the districts of Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad and Sanghar within four years, causing loss of almost 90 per cent in production and 74 per cent in the annual yield. Monetary loss for 1992 was roughly around Rs915 million.

The lack of domestic plant quarantine measures and illogical approach spread the disease up to Khairpur within a year. To confirm the reported spread of the BBTD in Khairpur, which was declared ‘Buncy-free district’, a team of PARC experts was sent who confirmed the spread of disease in Ahamadpur banana area in Taluka Kingri of Khairpur district. An expert informed that the Parc would soon offer disease-free banana seed (sucker), free of cost to at least one grower in each district of the upper Sindh, but no such gesture could be seen even after a decade.

The impact of the BBTD since early 1993 to 2001 on Khairpur crop did not create alarm among the growers, which is one good reason the banana acreage has kept multiplying with each passing day. As per conservative estimate based on field survey the total banana area in Khairpur district including acreage in Katcha area as well as area under date-palm orchards is about 25,000 acres. Another reason of the five-fold increase in its acreage within a decade may be due to the per acre price of Rs80,000 to Rs100,000 offered by the contractors to banana growers.

But, following a severe outbreak of the disease almost 80 per cent old and 5 per cent new non-bearing plantations have come under the BBTD attack. Infected plants do not produce fruit bunch if fruits are not ripened, and the plants do not die for at least one or two years. If infection occurs at an early stage, through an insect vector (blackaphids), such plants may show the same symptoms as of plants infected by the diseased suckers.

Survey has indicated that in Dehs Chittal Kalhoro, Palijo, Beli Channa, adjoining katcha area in Taluka Kingri about 40 per cent, in some cases even 60 per cent, plants (bearing) are infected which may not produce any fruit bunch resulting in colossal loss to growers. The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that the banana growers, having standing acreage old or new, have decided to stop further cultivation, while the contractors are avoiding fresh contracts. This has alarmed the growers as majority of them depend on contractors. However, during the survey the tall variety banana known as the ‘Willium’ was found almost free from the BBTD, even in areas where the Cavendish variety is in majority and is under the attack of the BBTD.

Suggestions: In view of the economic importance of banana crop for the people of Sindh it is suggested that immediate action should be taken for handling this calamity. At the moment, banana growers may be advised to switch over to the tall William variety which has been found resisting the menace successfully. Besides, “Gross Michel” is less susceptible to the buncy top virus than the ‘Cavendish’ group (presently being cultivated in Sindh). Certified disease-free, “Gross Michel” planting material, preferably produced by the tissue culture may be imported on experimental basis..

Reportedly the Hussain Ebrahim Jamal (HEJ) Research Institute of Chemistry, Karachi University Campus, had made remarkable headway in the field of tissue culture technology. But the rate offered for virus-free sucker produced through the tissue culture is said to be Rs15 per sucker which is costly as with this rate of seed (sucker) around Rs12,000 will be required for an acre of plantation. Since this amount is beyond the scope of an average growers it is suggested that the government should announce at least 80 per cent subsidy on the seed purchased from the said research centre of Karachi.