Deadly Fungus Drives
Bananas Closer to Extinction.
The Colombian agriculture and livestock
authority recently announced the arrival
of Tropical Race 4 (TR4) in Latin America.
TR4, in an infectious fungus
that causes banana plants
to become infertile. .
Cavendish bananas are especially susceptible
to TR4, as the bananas are mass produced
to be almost exact genetic identicals.
TR4 was first identified in Taiwan in the 1990s and
remained confined to Southeast Asia and Australia until
2013, when it was found in the Middle East and Africa. .
There is no known fungicide
that is effective against TR4, with
containment being the only defense. .
Banana importers, such as those in the
United States, may soon see higher prices
and scarcer supplies of bananas.
However, for those in Latin America,
the scarcity of bananas will likely cause
widespread economic distress.
Latin America is the epicenter of the banana
industry, containing the top 10 banana
exporters to the United States.
It is also home to four of the top five
exporters of bananas to the world market,
with Ecuador being the world’s largest exporter