The plague of Panama disease, which threatens banana crops in Asia, Europe, and Africa, won't represent a danger to the plantations in Tabasco if the fungus arrives there. According to producers, the varieties grown in the area are resistant to this disease and they have dismissed the alert.
Researchers have stated that this scourge should not be regarded as a danger to the producers who grow bananas in the area because their bananas are resistant to the disease.
They stressed that the only variety that is vulnerable to the disease is the apple bananas; however, there is no culture of this variety in the state, as it is only found in the courtyards of families and it is not exported.
In this regard, the head of the Plant Protection Program of SAGARPA, Rigoberto Nunez Bojorquez, said the plague that was now affecting three continents had affected Tabasco between 1938 to 1942 and that it had finished with the Roatan banana variety.
Currently Tabasco exports 50,000 tons of bananas worth more than 300,000 per year, making it one of the activities that generates the most jobs, he said.
Currently there are 2,000 producers dedicated to banana crops and 10,500 hectares devoted to cultivating the macho, giant dwarf, and the date banana varieties in the state, he added.
Even though it doesn't represent a hazard and it is not present in Latin America, Bojorquez recommended that the 2,000 producers in the entity should avoid buying seeds in establishments that are not certified.
Source: diariopresente.com.mx