The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) are currently conducting a survey among banana and plantain farmers countrywide to determine the location and spread of a disease which puts the two plant industries at risk.

According to a notice appearing in yesterday’s newspapers, the MoA described the effects of the disease as yellowing and drying of leaves and death of plants in a short time. Extension officers will be visiting farmers in the process and the MoA has advised farmers to, allow the officers to inspect their fields, answer all questions asked and follow the advice provided by the officers. The unit has since made its hotline numbers available for any additional information, those numbers being 220-2249 and 220-2842.It is unclear whether the disease referred to in the ad is the plant disease ‘Black Sigatoka’ which affects the musa species (banana and plantain).

Last August, Suriname authorities had closed the ‘back track’ route on the Corentyne for fear of that country’s agrarian sector, especially the banana sector, being affected by the ‘Black Sigatoka’ disease which agriculture officials there stated was rampant on these shores. The route was subsequently reopened after Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud met with officials in the neighbouring country.

Persaud had stated that an unidentified disease was discovered in isolated banana fields here but the disease had not impacted negatively on the banana industry here. There had been concerns about the presence of the Black Sigatoka disease on farms here and the MoA had adopted work programmes to address the issue.