The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, alongside other agricultural entities, is actively working to avert the infiltration of Fusarium TR4, a soil-borne fungus threatening banana crops globally. Recognized for its potential to obliterate entire banana yields, the concern for Kenya is heightened given the crop's significance for both sustenance and economic purposes. Agriculture Principal Secretary, Paul Rono, underscored the severity of the situation during an International Plant Protection Convention simulation exercise, highlighting the indispensability of vigilance against a pest capable of causing extensive yield loss.
The exercise, a first in Africa, aimed at bolstering emergency preparedness for pest risks among Comesa countries, with emphasis on the non-technical feasibility of eradicating Fusarium TR4, thus prioritizing prevention and exclusion strategies. Despite the disease's absence in Kenya, its presence in nearby Comoros and Mozambique raises concerns over potential spread, exacerbated by global trade. The simulation underscored the critical role of phytosanitary measures in maintaining agricultural integrity and food security within Kenya.
Source: the-star.co.ke