Ecuador is one of the top banana exporters in the world, but the changing climate is pushing up costs as well as threatening both the fruit quality and yield. The coastal province of Guayas is a major banana producing region in western Ecuador. Here, growers are feeling the changes as well. Studies have shown that warmer temperatures and extreme weather events unleashed by climate change help fungi, such as the Tropical Race 4 spread, leading to deadly plant diseases that could bring devastating losses to farmers. As a result, more fungicide sprays are needed, raising the costs of growing banana.
Manuel Lozano is co-owner of a banana plantation in Guayas. He commented: "As of August this year, we have conducted 18 rounds of fungicide sprays. In previous years, the number was about 19 or 20 rounds in the entire year.” In the example of Lozano, whose plantation is about 200 hectares in size, the operation costs about $10,000 each time. The plantation has already used up almost the entire year's budget for fungicide, so every further operation this year will end up deducting from the profit from the sale of the fruits.
Source: news.cgtn.com
