The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) St. Kitts has been working in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture in St. Kitts and Nevis as well as the Caribbean Plant Health Directors, to safeguard banana production and enhance food security in the federation.
Reported in the countries of Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela is the Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4), a strain of soil- borne fungus. TR4 is a threat to global banana and plantain production and is said to kill many varieties that make up half the global supply and most exports.
In an effort to safeguard the local farming communities these organizations are conducting tests of two TR4 resistant banana varieties. They have been grown in Boyd’s, St. Kitts and two additional locations on Nevis.
On Tuesday January 10th, IICA St. Kitts began conducting organoleptic or taste tests with the general public, to determine if it is palatable. Sharon Jones, Technical Specialist attached to IICA St. Kitts, shared that the feedback thus far is good and most persons cannot tell the difference. Therefore, if the disease does reach SKN’s shores, there is a variety that will withstand the disease.
Other countries conducting similar tests are Dominica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
