Another major step in better disease management in the global banana sector
PromoBanana, a new public-private partnership coordinated by Wageningen UR (University & Research centre), will provide banana farmers in the Philippines with better tools for detecting and managing the devastating infectious diseases Panama disease and Black Sigatoka. The Philippines are among the world’s top five banana exporters.
Extension meeting about the threat of Panama disease in the Philippines
Bananas are a staple food for more than 400 million people in the tropics. They are the fourth most consumed food crop, the most consumed non-cereal staple food and the most consumed fruit in the world. Global banana production is, however, under critical attack by widespread fungal diseases. The livelihoods of millions of people are at stake due to the Panama disease, which wipes out banana plantations, contaminates soils for decades and cannot be suppressed. It is currently threatening banana production throughout South-East Asia. Another disease, Black Sigatoka, is also posing a global problem. It is forcing banana producers to use more and more chemical pesticides, with all the attendant detrimental effects on the environment.
The PromoBanana (PROtect and MOdernize Philippine Banana production) partnership aims to develop agronomic laboratory capacity for the benefit of all producers, from smallholders to industrial-scale exporters. A majority of the PromoBanana partners are already working together with Wageningen UR in other banana research programmes. PromoBanana enables the rollout of technology and services based on these research programmes to the banana sector. Within these banana programmes, Wageningen UR combines its fundamental knowledge on banana diseases with expertise in banana production processes to restore banana plantations to health. In doing so Wageningen UR helps improve the quality of life of millions of people.
PromoBanana’s total budget is 3.1 million euro, including a subsidy of 1.9 million euro from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and matching funds from the partners BLGG AgroXpertus, ClearDetections, Unifrutti Services Inc., NEH Philippines, DANA Foundation, the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the AMA group of companies/AMA educational systems in the Philippines.
For more information contact Nora de Rijk, Communications at the Plant Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, nora.derijk@wur.nl. For more information about Panama disease or PromoBanana, you can visit the website: www.panamadisease.org or check the video about Panama disease: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKRCIyhheBE
Published in International Pest Control – July/August 2013 issue
Category: International Pest News
Category: International Pest News
