The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) last week declared a national emergency after detecting a fungus that experts say threatens global banana harvests. Panama disease...
A type of Fusarium wilt appeared this year in Australia's main banana-growing state after spreading to Asia and Africa. While the fungus has been around since the 1990s and has yet to affect top exporter Ecuador, Fresh Del Monte Produce called it a potential "big nightmare." The United Nations says the disease threatens supply, and Latin American growers are taking steps to limit the risk.
The TR4 strain of Panama disease hasn't reached top Latin America exporters such as Ecuador, Costa Rica or Colombia, but it is spreading outside of Asia.
