The recent confirmation of Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) in Ecuador has heightened regional concern over the soil-borne disease that has already affected plantations in Colombia, Perú, and Venezuela. Belize is increasing its containment and preparedness measures to protect its banana industry, valued between US$70 million and US$90 million annually.
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE), the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA), and Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), is coordinating a national task force on TR4. BAHA's Plant Health Laboratory in Central Farm, equipped with PCR and LAMP diagnostic tools, has trained lab technicians and field officers in sample collection and DNA testing. "We're using DNA extraction and PCR—just like COVID-19 testing—to identify Fusarium TR4," said Plant Health Agronomist Misael Perez.
BAHA's Technical Director Francisco Gutierrez emphasized the need for diagnostic precision. "We need to be able to pinpoint an incipient infection to contain it. Other diseases look similar, so diagnostic precision is key," he said.
From June 26–28, 2024, a Fusarium TR4 National Forum and Simulation Exercise was held in Teakettle and Stann Creek. Funded by TaiwanICDF, the event included containment simulations, lab tours, and field visits. Taiwan introduced Formosana 2018, a TR4-resistant banana variety now under trial in Belize.
Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai underscored the importance of bananas to Belizean households and exports. "Banana is Belize's second largest agriculture export hovering between $70 and $90 million over the last 5 years, and at 6–8 ripe bananas for a dollar BZ, banana remains one of the cheapest fruits for the Belizean household to purchase and consume," he said. He described Formosana as "a model of innovation and a testament to how science and research can secure our food systems."
At the closing of the forum, Taiwan's Ambassador Lily Li-Wen Hsu noted, "Taiwan is proud to be a development partner of Belize. The Formosana trials are a great example of what we can achieve together."
Minister Mai later reported that trial plots of TR4-resistant varieties had already produced 212 bunches in the first harvest and forecast 237 in the second. He also called for stronger regional collaboration at the CIRSA-OIRSA Meeting in April 2025: "Teamwork is key. Through shared knowledge and innovation, we can build resilient agro-livestock economies."
OIRSA's Fermin Blanco reaffirmed that "prevention is our best weapon," while Banana Growers Association Executive Director Elroy Foreman stressed the economic weight of the sector. BAHA Managing Director Zoe Zetina concluded: "We are becoming technically prepared and increasingly vigilant. Prevention is always better than any available cure."
Source: BBN