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Seven countries face a plague that threatens bananas

Seven countries face a plague that threatens bananas

Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and the Dominican Republic agreed on strategies to combat Fusarium Race 4, the pest that threatens the existence of bananas and plantains in these countries.

They did so within the framework of the Latin American Summit for Banana Unity, on January 12, 2022. The agriculture ministers of those nations participated in the virtual meeting.

Fuzarium, also known as Panama disease and which is characterized by causing the affected plant to wilt, has generated alarm in America. In 2019, the presence of infected plantations was reported in the La Guajira area, in Colombia, and it was the first officially detected case.

Subsequently, outbreaks were reported in Peru, while in Ecuador there is still no incidence. But there is concern in the sector, since it is one of the products with the highest movement in shipments abroad.

Exports of this fruit reached USD 294.2 million in October 2021, a figure higher than that of the previous four months, according to data from the Central Bank of Ecuador.

In the joint statement, the seven countries called on European international organizations to form an alliance for international resource management to combat the plague. In this sense, phytosanitary research, training and dissemination measures will be managed. Also, that they understand the social, environmental and economic impact that countries would suffer by not protecting themselves from this fungus. Producing and exporting countries will take a trip to the Fruit Logistica fair in Berlin in April this year.

Seven countries face plague that threatens the banana

In this space, the participation of 45 Ecuadorian exporting companies is expected to meet with potential clients to finalize negotiations. The ministers also analyzed the impact of shared responsibility that has to do with compensation based on certification that recognizes exogenous impacts and sustainability efforts in the production and export chain.

It was agreed to set a minimum price per country and certified product and a prize of USD 1 per additional box placed under this scheme.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador, Pedro Álava, proposed building a common front before importers, supermarkets and shipping companies. The idea is that they assume the price increases at this time as part of the Shared Social Responsibility initiative. “It is a moral obligation of all segments and not that the burden is transferred only to producers and exporters. Our countries need to reactivate to avoid social consequences that will imply setbacks to the fair development of the peoples”.

Mauricio Guevara, Secretary of State in the Offices of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, spoke about the prices of the fertilizers used in the maintenance chain of Musaceae.

The official assured that this has had an impact on production since the costs of maintaining the crop in optimal conditions have become more expensive.

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