IITA trains ministry officials on eradicating Banana bunchy top virus in Tanzania

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As part of efforts to curb the spread of the invasive Banana Bunchy Top disease (BBTD) in Tanzania, IITACGIAR, in partnership with the Tanzanian Plant Health and Pesticide Authority (TPHPA) and Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI), convened a three-day workshop in November to train targeted key officials in the ministry of agriculture tasked with responding to emerging threats, farmers, and private sector companies promoting the banana industry in the country. The workshop was held at Panama Garden Resort in Moshi.

The objective of the training was to provide information on surveillance and eradication techniques to be used in destroying virus-infected plants on farms and outline plans for countrywide surveillance for precise mapping of disease status in the country. The workshop also provided crucial information for developing a robust disease management plan. “Urgent actions are needed to delimit the extent of disease spread and create awareness so that appropriate measures are taken to contain the disease,” commented IITA Senior Plant Pathologist George Mahuku.

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