Savid has had its share of problems operating in the organic sector. Many imported bananas, like for instance the Cavendish variety, suffer from Black Sigatoka, a leaf spot disease of banana plants. Tackling the disease is difficult for organic growers not allowed certain, or any, pesticides. “In the organic segment you have to prevent disease from happening in the first place,” says Martijn. “Once an infection has broken out, most organically allowed measures are not aggressive enough to fight it.”
After last year’s Sigatoka outbreak Savid proposed a strategy to its growers, which included treatment with an organic anti-fungal agent. “Unfortunately low banana prices prevented many growers to do the necessary,” Martijn explains. “It’s a vicious circle: low income means low investments, decreasing the amount of crop which, in turn, means low income. The measures we have taken to fight infection are also costly, and these costs are not always covered by the prices people are willing to pay. It’s a difficult situation.”