Bananas play a vital role in the economies of numerous Caribbean nations, offering essential income for smallholder farmers and greatly contributing to export revenues. However, the threat of fusarium wilt, especially the Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) strain, presents a pressing challenge that these countries must address through urgent, collaborative efforts.
With support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum (CPHD) and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), technical staff, extension workers, and other stakeholders received training through the farmer field school (FFS) approach to prepare for a possible Foc TR4 incursion in the Caribbean.
The training brought together participants from ten Caribbean countries: Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Read more about this initiative in the article:
