Farmers call for urgent intervention as disease devastates Rwampara banana plantations
RWAMPARA, September 29, 2025 — Banana farmers in Rwampara District are calling for urgent government support following the outbreak of a destructive disease that is ravaging plantations across the area. The disease, which causes banana bunches to turn brown, ripen prematurely, and eventually dry out, has left hundreds of households struggling to survive.
Livelihoods under threat
The disease has spread across several sub-counties, including Mwizi, Bugamba, Nyabikungu, Kitoha, Nyaruhandagazi, and Kigando. Farmers report that the symptoms intensify during the dry season, devastating their main source of food and income.
Miriam Nimusiima, a farmer from Kigando Village, described the onset of the outbreak.
“The disease started during the dry season. When the rains came, all the bananas that had begun producing bunches turned brown,” she said. “This is where we get school fees, but now we have no hope of getting matooke for our clients.”
Although the affected bananas can still be consumed, they become unusually hard after cooking, in contrast to the soft texture expected of traditional matooke. Nimusiima said her family is now relying on posho and yams for daily meals.
The financial impact has been swift and severe. Gersom Mpairwe, a banana trader at Kigando Market, said the market now rejects the discoloured bananas.
“What used to fetch around Shs 15,000 in the wholesale market now cannot even raise Shs 5,000,” he lamented.
Dinavance Kemyeri, a resident of Nyaruhandagazi Parish, voiced concerns over the future of her children’s education.
“Our children will soon be chased from school because we used to pay fees by selling bananas, but now there is nothing to sell,” she said.
Confusion over diagnosis, frustration over inaction
Initially, many farmers feared the disease was banana bacterial wilt, a well-known and devastating infection. However, the symptoms—particularly the brown colouring and hardened texture of the fruit—did not match up completely.
Deogratious Begumisa, the Rwampara District Production Officer, identified the culprit as banana red rust thrips, a parasitic pest known to affect banana crops. He noted that the pest is not new in the district and said efforts were underway to control its spread, although he did not outline specific measures being taken.
Local leaders and farmers, however, criticised what they view as a slow and inadequate response from authorities.
Milton Tumusiime Rwakoma, Councillor for Nyaruhandagazi Parish, said farmers had received no practical guidance since the outbreak began.
“This outbreak has lasted nearly three years, but we have never seen any agricultural officer sensitising farmers on how to control or prevent it,” he said. “The government should treat it with the same urgency as foot-and-mouth disease.”
Moses Namanya Rutahunga, a banana farmer, stressed the need for immediate support.
“You cannot just uproot banana trees and replant because it takes over a year for them to mature,” he said. “Matooke is our main source of income. We are very worried.”
A Threat to regional food security
Rwampara is one of the leading banana-producing districts in the Ankole Sub-region, ranking just behind Isingiro and Bushenyi in output. The continued spread of the red rust thrips threatens not only household incomes but also the wider food supply chain for the region.
Farmers are urging the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant bodies to carry out widespread sensitisation, provide pesticides, and develop a coordinated response plan to save the banana sector before the damage becomes irreversible.
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