In December 2025, Ecuador confirmed the presence of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 in the province of El Oro, near the southern border with Peru, following laboratory confirmation by Agrocalidad. The outbreak was identified on a commercial banana farm in the Santa Rosa canton. The government declared a phytosanitary emergency aimed at containing the pathogen and safeguarding export production.
Ecuador has operated surveillance and prevention programs for TR4 for more than a decade. The Ministry of Agriculture previously reported multi-million US$ investments in monitoring, quarantine, and biosecurity across major production zones.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, TR4 is a soil-borne strain of Fusarium oxysporum that infects banana plants through the root system, leading to root rot and impairment of vascular tissue, restricting water and nutrient transport. Once established, the fungus can persist in soil for decades, limiting eradication options and leading to permanent abandonment of affected areas. The World Banana Forum states that Cavendish bananas account for most global banana trade and are particularly susceptible.
Ecuador remains the world's largest banana exporter. According to FAO data and the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments, and Fisheries, the country ships approximately 5 to 6 million tons annually, supplying more than one-quarter of globally traded bananas. Any reduction in Ecuadorian output would affect destination markets, including the European Union, Russia, and the U.S.
The International Plant Protection Convention confirmed TR4 in Colombia in 2019, with subsequent detections in Peru and Venezuela. FAO research indicates that yield losses on infected farms can reach 100 per cent over time. There are currently no commercially viable chemical treatments capable of eliminating the fungus once soil contamination occurs.
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture estimates that an infection affecting part of Ecuador's banana acreage could reduce export volumes, impact farm employment, and affect foreign exchange earnings, as bananas are a key agricultural export. Additional mitigation measures, sanitation protocols, and potential acreage withdrawal may increase production costs over time.
Containment measures, on-farm biosecurity, and research into resistant varieties are being prioritised. The World Banana Forum has noted that reliance on genetically uniform Cavendish systems continues to create structural exposure within the global banana supply chain.
Source: Mintec/Expana
