One of the world's most common banana varieties – the Cavendish - is still facing possible extinction. Northland banana grower and Tropical Fruit Growers of New Zealand chair Hugh Rose claims that anyone who is growing Cavendish bananas as a monopoly would be "doomed eventually, if they get that virus into their plantations".
According to Rose, banana varieties were spread across the world and they "mutate quite successfully in different soils and different conditions". He called the Cavendish a laboratory-grown banana, with each one is a clone and a direct replica of the other one: "So when you plant out 100,000 trees, they're all identical and along comes the disease and wipes out the plantation. But no, never fear ... those experts in the science community will produce another variety."
Rose said "99.9 percent" of the banana produce in New Zealand was Cavendish.
In Australia, the government has put out an alert on its website: "Panama TR4 is a serious banana disease that has been found on farms in Far North Queensland. It is caused by a fungus that lives in the soil. The fungus is not eradicable and can survive in the soil for decades without host plants.
"In some countries, it has had a devastating impact on industries and livelihoods. If not managed it has the potential to do the same in North Queensland."
Source: 1news.co.nz