Green: Don’t import bananas, it could cause deadly disease

WESTERN BUREAU:

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green is urging Jamaicans to resist any move to import bananas during the current production shortfall, warning that doing so could expose the island to a plant disease capable of wiping out the local industry.

Green, who was speaking on Wednesday at the Banana Board’s Hurricane Melissa Recovery Programme Handover Ceremony in St James, stressed that while Hurricane Melissa has severely reduced local banana and plantain supplies, importing the crop is not an option.

“We cannot afford it, and when I say we can’t afford it, I mean from a biosecurity standpoint,” said Green. “One wrong move could devastate our entire banana industry.”

Green pointed specifically to Tropical Race 4 (TR4), a highly destructive fungal disease that has crippled banana industries in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Jamaica is free of the disease.

TR4 attacks the roots of banana plants, causing them to wilt and die. Once introduced into the soil, it can remain active for decades, making eradication extremely difficult and costly.

Green warned that even a small, unauthorised shipment of bananas could pose a serious threat.

“Do not try to sneak in bananas,” he warned. “You might think you are solving a shortage, but you could be destroying an industry that supports thousands of Jamaicans.”

The banana and plantain sector contributes billions of dollars annually to the local economy and supports more than 50,000 Jamaicans across the farming, transportation and retail sectors.

During the passage of Hurricane Melissa, which impacted Jamaica last October, an estimated 93 per cent of the crop in affected areas were destroyed. The Government has since committed $100 million towards rehabilitation efforts, including fertiliser support and direct assistance to farmers.

Agricultural officials say protecting the island’s biosecurity is now more critical than ever, especially as farmers begin replanting.

“Once TR4 enters a country, there is no turning back. We must protect what we have,” said Green.

The authorities are encouraging the public and farmers to strictly adhere to plant quarantine regulations and to report any suspicious plant material entering the island.

Green also announced a $100-million recovery package for banana and plantain farmers, declaring that the industry is too critical to Jamaica’s food security to be allowed to fail.

He said 4,170 hectares of banana and plantain were damaged, affecting approximately 7,000 farmers, with an estimated 93 per cent crop loss.

“Basically, all our bananas and plantain were destroyed by Hurricane Melissa,” Green said, noting that the storm caused widespread uprooting, flooding, erosion and nutrient depletion.

Green also pointed out that at the time Melissa struck, the sector was still recovering from Hurricane Beryl, dealing what he described as a “tough blow” to farmers who had only just begun to rebound.

Production had climbed to 21,000 tonnes of bananas earlier in the year, with 18,900 tonnes produced between July and September. However, by the October to December quarter, output fell sharply to 15,000 tonnes of bananas and 12,000 tonnes of plantains.

Despite the setback, Green praised farmers for their resilience.

“Never you doubt a Jamaican farmer,” he said. “Our farmers are the most resilient farmers in the world.”

Of the $100 million allocated, $70 million will go towards fertiliser vouchers redeemable at approved farm stores in farming communities, while $27 million will fund the direct procurement and distribution of bagged fertiliser. The remaining $3 million will cover administrative and logistical costs.

Green said the Government has adjusted its approach based on lessons from previous hurricanes, ensuring that support reaches farmers directly in their communities rather than requiring them to travel long distances.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com