Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4), a fungal disease that poses a major threat to global banana production, has raised concern in Ecuador after a suspected case was reported on a seven-hectare farm in Santa Rosa, near the Peruvian border. The fungus, which has already affected banana plantations in Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru, endangers the world's leading banana exporter.
Ecuador has managed to keep the pathogen out of its territory since its first detection in Latin America six years ago. The country has developed containment protocols designed to prevent TR4 from entering and to maintain exports to more than 70 markets worldwide. The recent suspected case has triggered immediate quarantine and containment procedures while laboratory confirmation is pending.
© AEBE
The issue was a key topic at Banana Time 2025, held in Guayaquil and organized by the Association of Ecuadorian Banana Exporters (AEBE). The event brought together specialists from Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru to exchange experiences and review current research on TR4 management.
Ecuador's Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Danilo Palacios, expressed confidence in the industry's preparedness to manage biosecurity risks, referring to past successes such as the control of black sigatoka.
"This alert in Santa Rosa has activated the contingency plan," said Gustavo Cepeda, Undersecretary for Strategic Agricultural Chains at the Agriculture Ministry. He added that training programs for growers are being implemented to reinforce biosecurity practices across farms.
"All the efforts we make with financing, credits, or the delivery of kits will not be enough if there is no shared responsibility from each producer and every actor in the chain," Cepeda said. An inter-institutional committee has been formed to coordinate actions between public authorities, trade associations, and producers.
Experts at the meeting highlighted the importance of training, scientific collaboration, and coordinated action across sectors to contain the spread of TR4. They cited countries such as Colombia, Australia, and the Philippines, where early detection and strict biosecurity protocols have helped slow the fungus's advance.
Ecuador's banana sector, which plays a central role in the national economy, continues to monitor the situation closely as containment and verification efforts proceed in the affected area.
For more information:
Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador
Tel: +593 4 2683 200
Email: [email protected]
www.aebe.com.ec
