colombia-tr4

According to ScienceMag.org, TR4 has been confirmed in Colombia:

Colombia has declared a national state of emergency following confirmation that a dread fungus has appeared in the country’s banana plantations. The 8 August declaration marks the first time that Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), which has devastated crops in Asia, has been confirmed in Latin America, the world’s largest exporter of bananas. Signs of the fungus were first spotted in June in northern Colombia, putting the region on high alert.

Colombia is the fourth largest exporter of bananas in Latin America, with sales of $866.2 million in 2018. Only coffee and flowers are more valuable agricultural exports for the nation. Banana plantations cover roughly 50,000 hectares of land, whereas farms growing less valuable plantains, mostly for the domestic market, cover an additional 400,000 hectares.

Read more on this significant event: Colombia confirms TR4 presence (Website Link)