Despite enormous challenges posed by the deadly Black Sigatoka disease a top Food and Agriculture (FAO) official believes it can be controlled if proper mitigation efforts are in place.
“We need an integrated management action plan because Black Sigatoka is a very dangerous disease … it’s a killer but the good news is that it can be managed,” FAO Plant Production and Protection Officer Dr. Vyjayanthi Lopez said.
She was speaking at major consultation on Thursday as Dominica finds new ways in tackling the disease which has began to ravage the banana industry here.
Dr. Lopez called on all countries in the region to join forces to put an end to the threat. “It cannot be business as usual. It is necessary for the island to change how it produces plantains and bananas,” she stressed.
The government of Dominica has allocated over $300,000 to combat the dangerous disease and according to Acting Agriculture Minister Ivor Stephenson if Black Sigatoka is not managed properly it could have far-reaching implications on farm and rural income, foreign exchange and domestic food and nutrition security.
He said Dominica has sought the assistance of several organizations to help battle the disease.
Five regional countries, including Dominica, are now affected by the Black Sigatoka Disease. They are presently in the process of putting together individual national plans which is expected to form part of a regional integrated programme to better manage it.
Dominica is expected to participate in a regional consultation in Barbados from September 20-21 where its national plan will be presented and which will eventually form part of a regional integrated program to manage the disease.
The regional program is expected to be implemented by January 2013.
The FAO has already completed an assessment in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Guyana and now Dominica.
The team moves on to St Lucia next week.
To my knowledge this is not the firs time black sigatoka has visited DA. Ask any of the OLD, Old banana farmers how they got rid of it.
$300,000,000 is enough money? what w waist of words.
I hope the approach to controlling this fungus does not involve fungicides that would create long term environmental and health problems. It is easy to create a bigger problem if proper management protocal is not established to deal with this. We have already witnessed the negative effect that existing nematicides, pesticides, and herbicides have had on our environment and small farmers. I think a massive education outreach needs to be done so the farmers and others involve deal with this correctly.
“We need an integrated management action plan because Black Sigatoka is a very dangerous disease … it’s a killer but the good news is that it can be managed,” FAO Plant Production and Protection Officer Dr. Vyjayanthi Lopez said.
We have a Edison James, Ambrose George and others that are trained agriculturist…where are their voices.
I guess its not political yet, so no one is talking.
We have become to political
That is like agriculture “HIV” I pray all efforts will be implemented to Rid our hard working farmers of this BSD” Things are already tough on them, and here comes “BSD” We should have acted earlier when St Lucia was and still is under the treat of “BSD”.
I agree we are not proactive we are reactive.
We know it is going to happen do nothing wait and try something