The banana is a staple food in many parts of the world. The fruit, however, generally has a low level of vitamin A. 650,000 to 700,000 children die of the effects of a lack of vitamin A annually. Australian scientists have developed a banana with a high level of vitamin A. The 'Golden Banana' can go into production in Uganda in 2021.
The Australian scientists combined a gene from a smaller banana variety from Papua New-Guinea with the gene of the Cavendish. This created a new banana variety named the Golden Banana. Due to the higher level of vitamin A the colour of the banana is much more yellow.
The research took 12 years in total. The first bananas with a higher vitamin A level are being planted in the highlands of Uganda.