Promusa-A global programme for Musa improvement

The Global Programme for Musa Improvement (ProMusa), is a broad-based programme which brings together all the major players and stakeholders involved in research directly related to Musa improvement. The participants include Advanced Research Institutes, National Agricultural Research Systems, Universities and International Agricultural Research Centres working as partners, each playing a contributory and complimentary role. ProMusa was developed as a joint World Bank/TNIBAP initiative and aims to link the work carried out towards addressing the problems of export banana producers, with those initiatives directed towards improving banana and plantain production at the subsistence and smallholder level. The programme operates as a series of interlinked thematic working groups co-ordinated by a Secretariat which is provided by INIBAP. Working groups cover the major global research needs, which at this stage include Genetic Improvement, Fusarium wilt, Sigatoka diseases, Nematodes and Viruses. ProMusa is directed by a Steering Committee and operates under a Programme Support Group which is composed of major donors and stakeholders. The programme operates as a consortium and relies on a range of funding mechanisms. The structure of ProMusa, modus operandi and main objectives are described in the paper and details of the medium-term plan and expected outputs are given.