An online survey of banana experts conducted between January and March 2013 was used to elicit the most important constraints that limit banana yields and farmers’ income. Survey participants were also asked to rank research options and research areas.

Survey results

1. Profile of respondents - 2. Major constraints - 3. Factors contributing to farmers' income - 4. Research options - 5. PDFs of survey results and tables of detailed results

1. Profile of respondents

The survey attracted 504 respondents, 26% of which were women. The majority of respondents were aged between 46 and 65 (58%) and most of them were research scientists working for a national agricultural research institute (34%) or a university (20%). The respondents were also asked to indicate the importance of research on bananas in the organization for which they work; 48% said that it had increased in the past five years and 32% said that it had remained about the same.
Language in which survey was filled
Years of experience in banana research/development

Occupation/affiliation

Regional focus of the respondents’ work on bananas
Countries of respondents who indicated a national focus


(The respondents who indicated a national focus (46%)
were allocated to the corresponding region.)

Antilles, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, PR China, Colombia, DR Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe

Importance of research on bananas in the organization for which the respondents work

 

2. Major constraints

The respondents were asked to allocate 120 points to the constraints that in their opinion affect yields in the production system(s) they had selected.  The highest number of points went to the most important factor, and any other one of similar importance. The results for the various production systems are pooled under the dominant cultivar group: Cavendish, Gros Michel, other AAA bananas, East African highland bananas (EAHB), Plantains, other AAB bananas, ABB cooking bananas and edible diploids.  The results are also presented by region: West and Central Africa (WCA), East Africa (EA), South Africa (SA), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Major constraints by cultivar group and region (allocation of 120 points)


Share of different types of constraints

Importance of different types of constraints by cultivar group
Importance of different types of constraints by region

3. Factors contributing to farmers' income

The respondents were asked to allocate 120 points to the factors that in their opinion increase farmers' income in the production system(s) they had selected. The highest number of points went to the most important factor, and any other one of similar importance. The results for the various production systems are pooled under the dominant cultivar group: Cavendish, Gros Michel, other AAA bananas, East African highland bananas (EAHB), Plantains, other AAB bananas, ABB cooking bananas and edible diploids. The results are also presented by region: West and Central Africa, East Africa, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Importance of factors in increasing farmers' income by cultivar group and region (allocation of 120 points) 

Share of different types of factors

4. Research options

The respondents used a 5 point scale to assess the importance of various research options for the production system(s) they had selected. The results for the various production systems are pooled under the dominant cultivar group: Cavendish, Gros Michel, other AAA bananas, East African highland bananas (EAHB), Plantains, other AAB bananas, ABB cooking bananas and edible diploids.  The results are also presented by region: West and Central Africa, East Africa, South Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Most important research options

Most important research options by cultivar group

Most important research options by region
Importance of different types of banana research over next 10 years (allocation of 120 points)

5. PDFs of survey results and tables of detailed results

Survey results (PDF 1.9MB), Income increase by cultivar group (PDF 0.05MB), Income increase by region (PDF 0.06MB), Research option scores (PDF 0.06MB), Research option scores - means by cultivar (PDF 0.07MB), Research option scores - means by region (PDF 0.07MB), Yield Constraints by cultivar group (PDF 0.06MB), Yield Constraints by region (PDF 0.06MB)

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