Local banana product threatened by malicious disease

AMMAN — Jordan has recently joined a long list of countries that have been affected by “one of the world’s most destructive banana diseases, Fusarium wilt”, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN reported on Monday. 

The TR4 strain of the Panama disease, which has already hit tens of thousands of hectares in Southeast Asia, is posing a serious threat to the production and export of this popular fruit, stated the FAO in a press release.

FAO said cases of T4 have recently been reported by Jordan, but gave no details. 

Panamadisease.org estimates the global banana crop is worth around $5 billion and that over 100 million tonnes of bananas are traded yearly. The fruit is also listed as being the eighth most important food crop in the world, with its importance jumping to fourth place among the least-developed countries, according to FAOSTAT, the UN agency’s data-gathering and analysis service.

“The spread of Fusarium wilt banana disease could have a significant impact on growers, traders and families who depend on the banana industry,” Fazil Dusunceli, a plant pathologist at FAO, said in a statement posted on the agency’s website. 

“Countries need to act now if we are to avoid the worst-case scenario, which is massive destruction of much of the world’s banana crop,” said Dusunceli.

As there is currently no cure for TR4, which affects the trees but not the bananas themselves, the Rome based FAO has warned countries to step-up their efforts to combat this disease by raising awareness at all relevant levels and implementing preventive measures.