An outbreak of Fusarium guttiforme has blighted pineapple plantations in Brazil and Colombia and has triggered alarm bells in Panama, which has intensified its phytosanitary measures to prevent the entry of disease.
"This disease, considered by experts as the greatest threat to the cultivation of pineapple worldwide, causes the loss of up to 100% of the plantations. The pest can attack all parts of the pineapple plants, mainly stems, shoots and fruits, causing the death of the tissue affected by the fungus, and generates a gummy secretion", reports Prensa.com
In 2011, Panama exported 53.9 million kilos of pineapple to the Netherlands, the USA and Italy, the main markets for Panamanian fruit .
Source: Prensa.com
More on this topic
February 2011
Health Services reported the presence of a small outbreak of a plague known as "Yellow Dragon."
The outbreak of the plague known as huanglongbing (HLB) was detected on a farm near the border with Nicaragua.
The State Health Service (SFE), from the Ministry of Agriculture, "announced that it will take urgent preventive measures, such as the establishment of a four-mile cordon around the affected farm to prevent the disease from spreading," says Prensalibre.com.
January 2011
Health authorities have restricted the entry to the country of citrus plants to prevent an outbreak of Huanglongbing.
The recent emergence of the disease in Nicaragua alerted authorities who restricted the entry of plants from the United States, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
February 2011
Against the spread of the 'tar spot' pest, agricultural authorities initiated technical assistance programs.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, SAG, has made alliances with distributors of agricultural products in order to install technological labs in all experimental stations.
October 2011
In Costa Rica, October’s excessive rain has caused losses of $2.5 million in the sector.
Abel Chaves, president of the Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (Canapep in Spanish) explained that the losses include damage to plantations, delays in the preparation of crop areas, damage to farm infrastructure (bridges, canals and roads) and increases in transportation costs to ports of embarkation.
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