Border Measures to Prevent Spread of Panama Disease in Bananas

 Precautions have been taken at the border to prevent the spread of panama disease that possibly comes with the import of bananas from India. With the outbreak of panama disease (tropical race 4) in Tikapur of Kailali, high alert has been observed in all plant quarantines at all borders with India. Panama disease is considered to be the most destructive disease of bananas.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has issued a notice to take precautions as banana plants in some gardens in Tikapur have started withering due to the disease. Around 14 years ago, race 1 variant of the disease is estimated to have entered Nepal from India, said Shiva Lal Aryal, head of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Bhairahawa. According to him, this disease has been widely spreading in Chitwan for seven years.

 "Race 1 causes a lot of damage to local breeds including the Malbhog variety. New variety G9, Williams Hybrid, Chini Champa and other varieties can fully tolerate race 1. The new variant panama has the ability to completely destroy all the banana varieties available for cultivation in Nepal." Due to the disease, the bottom of old banana leaves turns yellow, then the edge of the leaf turns yellow and the leaf dries and the stem breaks. "Plants show the symptoms of this disease four to five months after the attack. If infected plants are planted, symptoms can be seen within two months of the disease," he said. The disease spreads due to fungus found in the soil, said Kuldeep Ghimire, head of the plant quarantine office, Bhairahawa.

According to him, the infection spreads from one place to another, infected plants, soil, water and agricultural tools. Additionally, there is a possibility of spreading the disease from one farm to another through the soil stuck to tires of vehicles carrying bananas, shoes and sandals, he said. Infected soil, water and agricultural tools are the main sources of the disease, he added.

The customs has been tightened as trucks carrying bananas from India are a main source of the disease transmission, said head Ghimire. "We do not allow anything other than banana fruits to be brought in vehicles carrying bananas. TR 4 does not spread from banana plants to its fruits. We have quarantined only those banana fruits that have been transported safely," he said. Vehicles loaded with bananas are sent after cleaning their tyres in the customs premises ensuring that there is no mud anywhere, he said. "All this work is done by the plant quarantine office. Bringing any type of banana saplings from India is banned," he said.

 Bhairahawa customs office is the main customs point for importing Indian bananas. Bananas are imported from various parts of India through this transit. Narayan Datta Joshi, information officer for the Bhairahawa customs office, said 37,638 metric tonnes of banana worth over Rs 1.5 billion were imported from India through this transit in the previous fiscal year, 2022/23.

According to him, within the Nepali month of Bhadra of the current FY, 2023/24, 4,619 metric tonnes worth more than Rs 194 million have been imported through this transit.

 As banana is cultivated on a large scale in Rupandehi and Nawalparasi (West), borders have been tightened to prevent the spread of the disease, said Joshi. The Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Project has designated Nawalparasi (West) as a banana zone for its cultivation. Banana has been cultivated on 1,150 hectares of land in Nawalparasi alone, said Narayan Kafle, head of the project implementation unit, Bhairahawa.

 Banana has been grown on 280 hectares of land in Rupandehi, said the agriculture knowledge centre head Aryal. "All bananas cultivated here are G9 species, they cannot fight TR 4. Lumbini Province is at high risk of infection. So, it is necessary to be cautious," he said.

Banana plants planted in Pratappur of Nawalparasi (West) have shown symptoms similar to the disease, said Kafle. The samples have been sent to the National Plant Pathology Research Centre for research to find out whether the disease is TR 4 or other, he informed. ---