Jamaica on alert for deadly banana disease

Dudey Stewart, a farmer in Bernard Lodge in St Catherine, said if the Tropical Race 4 Disease (TR4) should land on Jamaican shores, the price of bananas and plantains may increase significantly.

He is therefore imploring the relevant authorities to do all within their powers to prevent an outbreak of the plant disease.

"It woulda rough because a since week mi know 'bout this banana disease and read up on it and mi realise say it can be transmitted to plantain and banana easily. Time already hard and banana a one a di affordable fruit dem weh most mothers put in a dem pickney bag. A banana and orange sometimes a di only source of fruit fi some family. Di government couldn't prevent COVID but mi a beg dem nuh make dis ting ya take over we banana crop dem," he said.

In a recent press release, the the Jamaica Banana Board said they are on high alert for the prevention of TR4, which is known to be extremely devastating to the production of bananas and plantains. The disease, which is caused by a fungus, has been a cause for concern within our banana and plantain industry, as it was recently discovered in Venezuela and Peru, after entering the Americas and Colombia in 2019. Consequently, the Banana Board is ramping up its preventative measures to ensure the disease does not enter Jamaica's shores.

Janet Conie, general manager at the Banana Board, advises that an action plan is being implemented as part of the preventative strategy.

"The plan is designed with all the necessary programmes, systems, activities, and tools to prevent the disease from entering the shores of Jamaica, and to otherwise ensure early detection in order to prevent spreading," Conie said.

Stewart, who has been a farmer for close to two decades, said although he is keeping his fingers crossed that Jamaica will not be affected, he is hoping that the agriculture ministry will offer workshops on how farmers can prevent the disease from killing their crops.

"This woulda rough enuh because a nuff a we have to sleep with we machete inna di field a look out fi tief a night time. We a fight with rats and mongoose and sometimes all dog and now we may have to go fight disease. If dem could give we little workshop before it reach here that would be good," Stewart told THE STAR.

According to Damion Rowe, chief plant quarantine produce inspector in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, "the effect of TR4 Disease on banana production is costly".

"The best way of mitigating the impact of TR4 on banana production in a country is exclusion. Therefore, people who visit banana/plantain fields in countries with TR4 Disease must leave clothes or shoes in that country, or do not visit those fields. Also, importation of banana and plantain plants or plantlets, as well as other hosts such as Heliconia from countries where TR4 Disease is present, is strictly prohibited. Finally, tissue culture in-vitro plantlets and cut flowers imported from other countries must be adequately tested or screened for diseases and a permit received from the PQPI Branch prior to importation."