Engineering Africa’s banana future

A farmer carries her banana to the market. Copyright: pxfuel, (Free use).

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<h1>Engineering Africa’s banana future</h1>
<h4></h4>
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<h3><strong>Season 2, Episode 6</strong></h3>
<p>Uganda is among the top banana-producing countries in the world, and is home to the much-loved matoke banana — also known as the East African highland banana. But the matoke, along with many of the other banana varieties that are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, is under threat from diseases and pests.</p>
<p>This is where Priver Namanya Bwesigye comes in. This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Halima Athumani finds out how Namanya and her banana research team at the National Agricultural Research Organisation are working to protect Uganda’s bananas, and the vital nutrition that they provide.</p>
<p><em>Music:</em></p>
<p><em>“Adding the Sun” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">By  4.0 License, </a></em><em>Music promoted by <a href="http://tiny.cc/50cnpz">The Free Cat</a></em></p>
<p><em>“By Grace” <a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Inspiring/ByGrace">By Podington Bear, (Inspiring</a>), License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/">NonCommercial 3.0 International License</a> </em></p>
<p><strong><em>Africa Science Focus</em></strong><strong>, with Michael Kaloki. </strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/role-models/qa-more-girls-just-need-to-be-mentored/"><strong>Learn more about Priver Namanya Bwesigye’s career</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.carnegie.org/"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1894676 lazyload" data-src="https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/Carnegie1.png" alt="Carnegie" width="426" height="200" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" style="--smush-placeholder-width: 426px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 426/200;" /><noscript><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1894676 lazyload" data-src="https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/Carnegie1.png" alt="Carnegie" width="426" height="200" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" style="--smush-placeholder-width: 426px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 426/200;" /><noscript><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1894676" src="https://www.scidev.net/wp-content/uploads/Carnegie1.png" alt="Carnegie" width="426" height="200" /></noscript></noscript></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This programme was funded by the <a href="https://www.carnegie.org/">Carnegie Corporation of New York</a>.</em></p>
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Season 2, Episode 6

Uganda is among the top banana-producing countries in the world, and is home to the much-loved matoke banana — also known as the East African highland banana. But the matoke, along with many of the other banana varieties that are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, is under threat from diseases and pests.

This is where Priver Namanya Bwesigye comes in. This week on Africa Science Focus, reporter Halima Athumani finds out how Namanya and her banana research team at the National Agricultural Research Organisation are working to protect Uganda’s bananas, and the vital nutrition that they provide.

Music:

“Adding the Sun” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), License: By 4.0 License, Music promoted by The Free Cat

“By Grace” By Podington Bear, (Inspiring), License: NonCommercial 3.0 International License

Africa Science Focus, with Michael Kaloki.

Learn more about Priver Namanya Bwesigye’s career