The National Agricultural Health Service of Peru (SENASA), along with INIA and other sector agencies, continues to work on containing the disease TR4, which has been present in the Piura region since 2021.

SENASA reported that to date, outbreaks have been confirmed in only 509 hectares located in Sullana and Paita—sectors that have been quarantined and remain under constant monitoring by health service specialists.

 SENASA employs 100 professionals dedicated exclusively to surveilling 93,000 hectares of bananas and plantains nationwide, working to detect any occurrence of the pest and take immediate control actions, including the elimination of the outbreak, to protect over 170,000 hectares of bananas and plantains in Peru.

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Additionally, SENASA has brigades trained to control incursions by fencing off outbreaks, eliminating affected plants, burying plant debris, applying urea, and placing plastic sheeting to prevent the pest from spreading.

These actions are complemented by an intensive training campaign at all levels across the country, educating over 14,000 people—including producers, extension workers, traders, harvesters, transporters, and the general public—on prevention issues such as biosecurity, which includes outbreak drills in Peru's main banana-growing areas.

SENASA personnel are also present at three verification posts in Sullana and at a container disinfection post in Paita, monitoring the Chira Valley, where the pest is found.

At the same time, the National Agricultural Health Service is taking steps to facilitate the introduction of in vitro plants of banana varieties for research and multiplication purposes and is expediting pest risk analyses to support the phytosanitary requirements for these imports.

The entity explained that imports of in vitro banana plants from Panama, Costa Rica, Spain, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Egypt, Brazil, Belgium and Mexico are currently authorized, and imports from France and Israel are about to be approved.