VENEZUELA: Venezuela faces a new threat to its food security as a fungus called Fusarium tropical race 4 infects banana and plantain crops.
According to a United Nations assessment, the country is already dealing with an economic catastrophe, and just under 23% of the population experiences hunger.
The central states of Aragua, Carabobo, and Cojedes have been home to the fungus, which slowly dries off plants and contaminates the soil.
The situation is particularly concerning for small-scale farmers, as bananas and plantains are not only a source of income but also a source of energy, carbohydrates, and sugar.
“If people don’t have their banana, they don’t have a source of energy, and they don’t have the money to buy that energy from other sources, so it’s a double punishment,” said Alexis Bonte, the FAO representative in Venezuela.
The fungus has affected about 150 hectares and around 1,000 small producers so far, according to the FAO. Fusarium can only be eliminated by removing sick plants and replacing them with grains or maize that are resistant to the fungus.
The government has outlawed the movement of seeds between the three states where the fungus has been found. Still, farmers demand tighter border restrictions with Colombia and improved hygienic standards for workers and vehicles.
The origins of the fungus are unclear, but it was first detected in neighbouring Colombia three years ago and in Peru last year.
According to Saul Lopez, head of the agricultural engineers group, around 28,000 hectares of plantains and 32,000 hectares of bananas are cultivated in Venezuela.
The association requested that the government implement sanitary restrictions in 2019 after stating that the fungus would likely appear.
According to the Fumplaven plantain promotion association, the fungus has yet to be found in Zulia, Venezuela’s largest banana and plantain-growing state, which has about 10,000 hectares of the crops.
However, Zulia growers fear that the fungus could spread and devastate their crops, leading to more hunger and losses in the country.
The economic crisis in Venezuela has already led to shortages of basic goods, hyperinflation, and a mass exodus of people from the country.
The emergence of the Fusarium fungus threatens to exacerbate the food crisis and increase the suffering of millions of people who are already struggling to access enough food.
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