Tanzania: Pact seeks to boost banana production
According to a statement made available to the 'Daily News' by IITA day, the two institutions have further strengthened their collaboration on agriculture research and capacity building by signing an agreement on banana research.
The agreement, which spells out how the two institutions will work together to tackle the challenges facing banana production in the country, was signed by the IITA Deputy Director General for Research, Dr Ylva Hilbur, and the NM-AIST Vice Chancellor, Prof Burton Mwamila, at a ceremony at the university campus in Arusha.
In the agreement, NM-AIST will avail land to IITA to conduct banana breeding to develop improved varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases and especially Panama disease (Fusarium) which is devastating banana crop in the region, and office space for use by the institute's staff.
It will also give the institute access to its laboratories and screen houses to conduct banana research.
IITA, on its part, will provide funds to remodel and refurbish the molecular and tissue culture laboratories including purchasing additional equipment. The institute will also construct a seed extractor and a banana ripening chamber at the university.
All these facilities will be open to both the staff and students of the university. The institute further pledged to conduct training for the staff and students at the university in areas of banana breeding, tissue culture, pest and diseases, and molecular biology among others.
Prof Mwamila said that the university had aspired to become a world-class institution dedicated to the pursuit and promotion of excellence in Science Engineering and Technology (SET) and their applications for economic growth and sustainable development in the region by training and developing world class African scientists and engineers.
Source: allafrica.com
