A Dominican Republican banana producer has estimated disease Black Sigatoka is cutting back national grower incomes by US$1.2 million per week, website Hoy.com.do reported.

Producer Luis Bonilla told the website around 20% of the country's banana plantations had been affected by the fungus, making crops unfit for export and leading to revenue losses.

He said growers had been fighting the disease with little success over the last three or four years, but various associations including the Center for Research of Tropical Fruits and Crops in France were working on a solution, the story reported.

A former banana association president told the website around 40% of banana production in the Línea Noroeste was a 'lost cause'.

Former Dominican Association of Banana Producers (Adobanano) president Víctor Peña, said Black Sigatoka was becoming more resistant to treatment with time.

In July, several Dominican banana exporters claimed they were unable to export from the northwestern port of Manzanillo after it was privatized and sold to the Atlantic Port Corporation.

Photo: Agfax

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