NBPC on HVC-FV deliberates on Panama disease management
With the United States imposing import ban on some banana plant parts coming from the Philippines, the National Banner Program Committee (NBPC) on High Value Crops-Fruits and Vegetables (HVCFV) deliberated on Panama disease control and prevention on June 24, 2021. The Panama disease, also known as Fusarium wilt, is caused by a fungus that lives in soil.
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| June 26-July 2, 2021
It travels up the stem of the banana plant and blocks the tissues that carry water and nutrients, thus killing the plant. The fungus can be easily spread by movement of infected plants and contaminated soil and water. Although Panama disease is not harmful to humans, it is considered destructive to the majority of banana varieties including
Cavendish, the most common one in the market. According to an article in Business World Online, the US saw this as a serious threat to its agriculture, thus restricting the importation of rooted plants, rooted and unrooted cuttings, and roots from countries with known Panama disease occurrence, which included the Philippines. The import Caraga INFOCUS
