The Philippines Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) is ramping up its efforts to contain Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease, in the banana industry. Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that blocks the banana plant’s vascular system and deprives it of minerals, nutrients, and moisture. Affected plants turn yellow and die. The Tropical Race 4 (TR4) strain was first detected in Davao City in 2009 and continues to threaten the Cavendish banana, the main export variety.
BPI Director Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban: “We’re really focusing on the best management because it doesn’t matter how will we produce if lose to pests and diseases. We are partnered with the Philippine Space Agency to initiate a project that will allow us to really know the scope of damage.”
In its banana market review, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that the Philippines exported 2.24 million tons in 2022, down 6.21%. The Philippines is the second top banana exporter, after Ecuador.
Source: bworldonline.com
