Around the world, an incurable fungal infection is sweeping through banana plantations. Some countries’ cultivators have this under control, but the Philippines stands to lose a US$4 billion industry.
Estimates made by a local industry body suggest that up to 40% of banana plantations in the country have already been affected. With no cure for the Panama wilt, the Philippines is scrambling to develop ways to contain its spread.
Banana exports from the Philippines are already tapering. New solutions such as AI and robots enable the timely detection of fungal infection so farmers can act quickly, but these measures have yet to be implemented at a large scale.
There is a method that’s proven to help develop banana crops that are resistant to the Panama wilt; it utilises nuclear technology. But the Philippines can’t adopt it because its largest importer, Japan, has a ban on most irradiated food.
Now, it isn’t immediately clear that the Philippines’ banana growers will be able to keep the Panama wilt in check before their crops are devastated.