The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched an emergency project under its Technical Cooperation Programme to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean fight the spread of Fusarium wilt, a fungal plant disease that can wipe out the banana crops upon which the livelihoodsContinue Reading
The race to engineer the next-generation banana is on. The Colombian government confirmed last month that a banana-killing fungus has invaded the Americas — the source of much of the world’s banana supply. The invasion has given new urgency to efforts to create fruit that can withstand the scourge. Continue Reading
Struggling African banana producers called on the European Union on Friday not to cut tariffs on imports from Latin America any further. Exporters in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) have been losing market share since 2009, when the EU agreed to progressively cut tariffs on bananas from biggerContinue Reading
Climate change has been relatively kind to banana suppliers so far – but in the decades to come, friend may turn to foe. Temperatures are likely to get so hot that the annual production gains enjoyed by banana suppliers will begin to drop. And in some places, total banana yieldsContinue Reading
Climate change may lead to a significant decline in banana production in India, the world’s largest cultivator and consumer of the crop, according to a study. Bananas are recognized as the most important fruit crop, providing food, nutrition and income for millions in both rural and urban areas acrossContinue Reading
The banana disease Fusarium wilt Tropical Race IV (TR4) has spread on the three farms in Queensland, Australia, since the initial 2015 detection. But Australia’s Department of Agriculture said the disease (a.k.a. Panama disease) has not spread to other Tulley Valley farms. “The disease has spread uphill andContinue Reading
A research project has brought together artificial intelligence (AI), satellites, cloud computing and the internet of things (IoT) to help farmers detect diseased bananas using a smartphone app. The AI tool is built into an app called Tumaini, which means ‘hope’ in Swahili. It uses image recognition technologyContinue Reading
Colombia has declared a national state of emergency following confirmation that a dread fungus has appeared in the country’s banana plantations. The 8 August declaration marks the first time that Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), which has devastated crops in Asia, has been confirmed in Latin America, the world’sContinue Reading
At a 1,000-hectare plantation in the deep south of the Philippines, dozens of middle-aged workers sing along to oldies such as “Hotel California” as they prepare freshly picked bananas for export to China. “In the afternoon, it’s like a disco,” said Naiall Biol, manager at the farm in DavaoContinue Reading
In a long-feared development, an extremely damaging banana disease has apparently reached Latin America. Late last week, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) in Bogotá confirmed that four plantations in northern Colombia have been quarantined because of suspected infection with Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), a fungus that kills plantsContinue Reading
Banana farmers in Kerala have formed a Banana Farmers Association as a follow-up to the National Banana Festival hosted here last year by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (Cissa), an NGO. Cissa has been continuing with its efforts across panchayats and inspiring banana farmers toContinue Reading
Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association Inc. (PBGEA) Executive Director Stephen Antig said there was a seven percent decrease of exported bananas from Davao Region due to dry spell season. Antig said based on their data for the first quarter of this year, the decrease was about 20 toContinue Reading
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