The general manager of Galiltec SA and Galiltec Ecuador, Amnon Ronen, has announced that the company has reached an agreement with Du Roi Laboratory, from South Africa, and the Taiwanese Banana Research Institution (TBRI), that allows them to produce and market the Formosana 218 banana variety. This variety, also called GCTCV 218, is the only variety of the Cavendish family that has a high tolerance to Foc R4T.
The agreement covers the entire Latin American region and the Caribbean islands.
Formosana has proven its advantages commercially, as it has been planted in thousands of hectares in the Philippines, Taiwan, Mozambique, and other countries in Asia and Africa.
Galiltec will collaborate with INAP, Agrocalidad, and the Ministry of Agriculture of Ecuador to ensure a safe and rapid process of importation and registration of Formosana, in accordance with Ecuadorian legislation, which will guarantee the possibility of having plants that have a high tolerance to the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense Tropical Race 4 fungus.
Galiltec Ecuador also spoke about the development of the modern meristem plant laboratory that it has put at the service of the country and the entire Latin American region, which will make the production of meristem plants safer meeting the demand expectations of the banana market.
"We hope that we'll have plants commercially available for the Ecuadorian banana industry starting in 2023," stated Amnon Ronen.
Source: bananaexport.com
