The arrival and gradual spread of the soil-borne fungal disease Panama TR4 is beginning to have an impact on the banana industry in Far North Queensland. The disease makes its way into the soil of growing fields and is having a considerable and long-lasting impact decimating crops by starving plants of nutrients and leaves the land not farmable for bananas. It will likely have a significant impact on the Australian banana industry, affecting production, people's livelihoods and the communities that rely upon it.
Whilst biosecurity measures adopted by the industry have significantly slowed its progression, soil-borne fungal disease Panama TR4 is infiltrating a larger number of farms, currently, there is no solution to arrest the advance of this devastating disease.
“In light of the recent updates regarding the continued Panama TR4 disease outbreak, we feel for the growers affected. We appreciate the challenges and the potential impact on the livelihoods of the dedicated banana farmers and workers, and the future of the banana industry.”
This soil-borne disease has specifically targeted the popular Cavendish variety, which accounts for about 96% of all bananas grown in Australia.
“The gravity of this issue has driven us to innovate and look for potential solutions to bring new TR4-resistant varieties such as Little Gem® and Havana™ bananas to market, offering hope of a return to viability for some of the affected growers," Michael said.
Developing a long-term solution, Perfection Fresh remains dedicated to identifying distinctive varieties that solve agronomic problems on farm and aligns with evolving consumer needs. Havana™ and Little Gem® offer a soil-borne fungal disease Panama TR4 resistant and non-GMO alternative to growers.
Perfection’s exclusive variety Havana™ is a sturdy convenient mid-sized banana that is 18-24cm long delivering a high yield vs. Lady Finger bananas. With its unique flavour, it’s a balance of creamy and sweet, Havana® bananas are low GI, they don’t go brown when they’re cut which helps to minimise waste for consumers.
The perfect snack size for lunch boxes or a small grab-and-go snack, Perfection’s Little Gem® Bananas are smaller than a standard Cavendish. Great for adults or kids who don’t want to eat a whole standard banana, meaning less waste.
Chaise Pensini, Banana Category Manager Perfection Fresh says: “It’s exciting to have new options for growers and consumers in a category that hasn’t seen a lot of change for many years. As we perfect and bring these new varieties to market we plan to educate consumers on how these new bananas offer different benefits and more choice. Ultimately our goal is to deliver value through growing the entire bananas category.”
Perfection’s Little Gem® and Havana® Bananas are now available in the market.