Government presented the national strategy against Fusarium race 4 (FOCR4T)

Actions for the containment and control, phytosanitary management and suppression of Fusarium race 4 (FOCR4T) in case the country arrives; a risk map, the activation of the 1800 AGRO-00 telephone line, the Agro mobile applications and the ECU911 single line, are some of the measures included in the National Strategy for the prevention, detection and control of the pest .

This document, which was presented by the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, last Friday in Guayaquil, allows systematizing the information on the actions necessary to take to protect one of the country’s star products in the world: bananas, whose Export represents approximately $ 3.4 billion per year and its production chain generates at least 250,000 direct and 50,000 indirect jobs.

This, even more so when the plague has already been detected in neighboring countries; Colombia, in August 2019 and Peru, last April.

For this reason, on July 23, the national Emergency Operations Committee (COE) resolved to accept the presidential disposition so that from now on the plenary of this body and its technical tables address the problem related to this threat.

Four technical tables will define a plan to stop the entry of Fusarium Race 4

After this decision, the COE articulated an inter-institutional work; Juan Zapata, president of this instance, explained that this proposal is a tool that contains action protocols.

For his part, President Lasso explained that, in recent months, actions such as trainings, disclosure talks, phytosanitary surveillance, tours of plantations, approaches with producers, among other measures to protect the banana sector from this pest, have been undertaken. , whose effects could be disastrous for the Ecuadorian economy.

“We must be prepared for the threat of Fusarium-4 (…). We will give all our support to the banana producers ”, assured the president, who congratulated the initiative, carried out last July, to bring together experts and producers from Colombia, to exchange knowledge and experiences.

“The fungus is a regional problem and, therefore, the response must also be regional,” he said.

He added that the Government works to take care of the musaceae crops and that it will also aim to increase exports. “We want to renew and expand the production of bananas, coffee, cocoa, and other highly valued products internationally. It is time to make qualitative leaps and strengthen the agricultural sector in the face of new global challenges, ”said the president.

The Fusarium is already 350 kilometers from Ecuador, urgent measures must be taken: Jorge Hernando Pedraza

Meanwhile, Juan José Pons, Minister of Government to honor of public policies for the protection of the banana sector, he mentioned that this work plan in the territory has had the participation of local governments and small and large banana producers.

And now they will commit to putting into effect the strategy to protect the musaceae plantations in the country, while the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Pedro Álava, agreed that the tool is a positive contribution to the sector.