Banana fungus may worsen the hunger crisis in Venezuela

Published 2023년 5월 10일

Tridge summary

A fungus, Fusarium tropical race 4, is posing a significant threat to the cultivation of bananas and plantains in Venezuela, particularly in the states of Aragua, Carabobo, and Cojedes. This fungus, which is resistant to common treatments, has the potential to exacerbate the country's existing food crisis. The fungus was officially identified by Venezuela's national agricultural health institute in January, but farmers and experts believe it has been present for years. The United Nations and local growers warn that the fungus could rapidly spread, affecting around 1,000 small producers and some 150 hectares of crops. The only known method of eradication involves removing the affected plants and replacing them with crops not susceptible to the fungus. The source of the fungus is currently unknown, and concerns are growing about its potential impact on Venezuela's food security, especially with the annual inflation reaching 471% and nearly 23% of the population suffering from hunger.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

CARACAS: A resistant fungus which wilts banana and plantain plants and infects soil could worsen the food crisis in Venezuela, where 6.5 million people already suffer hunger, growers groups and a United Nations agency say. The Fusarium tropical race 4 fungus has so far been located in the central states of Aragua, Carabobo and Cojedes. Venezuela's national agricultural health institute officially detected fusarium in January, but producers and other experts say there has been evidence of the fungus for years and they fear it could spread rapidly. "About 15 per cent of my bananas are affected," farmer Tomas Malave, 46, who has 2,200 plants on his one-hectare area of banana crop in Aragua, said in a telephone interview. Malave said he tried various remedies over the years, without knowing exactly what was affecting his plants. "Unfortunately I saw this disease years ago but it was only this year that the institutions determined the cause," Malave said. His neighbour Gregory Gamboa, ...

Source: Channelnewsasia