Vitamin A-rich bananas bring better nutrition to Tanzania
Three new banana varieties that are naturally rich in vital nutrients, including vitamin A, have been released in Tanzania. The varieties are expected to help bridge the nutrient gap, especially among children and other vulnerable groups.
- crops
- nutrition
- food security
Vitamin A-rich bananas bring better nutrition to Tanzania
Three new banana varieties that are naturally rich in vital nutrients, including vitamin A, have been released in Tanzania. The varieties are expected to help bridge the nutrient gap, especially among children and other vulnerable groups.
Bananas are a vital source of food in Tanzania, where they are the fourth most important crop for food security and income generation, supporting more than 30% of the population. Tanzania is East Africa’s second-largest banana producer after Uganda and has one of the world’s highest banana consumption rates, estimated at between 280 and 500 kilograms per person annually.
Bananas feed Tanzanians from all walks of life;-from nourishing soups (Mtori) savoured by nursing mothers and street-side snacks (Ndizi Kaanga) enjoyed by children on their way home from school, to the mild beer (Mbege) traditionally consumed by the Chagga people.