Scientists, using gene-editing techniques, have developed a gene resistant to Fusarium, a soil-borne pathogen threatening global banana production, the head of Fresh Del Monte said during a recent earnings call.
Blaming climate change for the rapid spread of Fusarium, also known as Race 4, and Black Sigatoka, which threaten to decimate banana and plantain growth worldwide, CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, called the development of the TR4-resistant gene a “meaningful step toward long-term category resistance,” JustFood reported.
Agriculture experts say Black Sigatoka is caused by the fungus Pseudocercospora fijiensis and causes reddish-brown speck on the bottom of leaves that eventually can cause the leaves to turn black and die. Fusarium attacks banana tree roots, causing banana Fusarium Wilt disease.
“These diseases are having a direct impact on supply. Black Sigatoka is affecting crops across Central America, while other countries are facing the compounded impact of both diseases,” Abu-Ghazaleh said, JustFood reported.
The continued spread of TR4 could be devastating for the communities who rely on bananas for their livelihoods. Bananas and plantains are also critical to food security and livelihoods of around 400 million people.
In Costa Rica alone, Black Sigatoka has led to a 20% decrease in export volume, Abu-Ghazaleh said, adding, “I don’t see this going away. This is getting worse.”
The CEO also talked about Fresh Del Monte’s recent pineapple entry in the Middle East under the Pink Glow brand, and noted a $89.3 million, or 12.5%, increase in net income on sales of $2.28 billion for the six months ended June 27 compared to the same period last year. And despite a 2.9% increase in fresh and value-added products, banana sales were flat.
Meanwhile, in Other Agriculture News:
Climateflation: U.K. think tank The Autonomy Institute predicted a 34% hike in food prices in the United Kingdom as a result of inflation triggered by climate change, JustFood reported. In a study, the institute found rising temperatures in Europe would trigger so-called climateflation. The institute said the U.K. is particularly vulnerable because it imports half its food. Domestic crops are also at risk due to drought and flooding, the study said.
“Without proactive intervention, rising heatwaves and droughts could drive food prices up by a third by mid-century. Climateflation is no longer a distant risk; it’s a present reality,” institute CEO Will Stronge said in a statement, adding: “We need to build real economic resilience – and that means rethinking what public service provision can and should provide in the face of climate disruption: from delivery of basic essentials to … a national buffer stock.”
Tariffs: Farmers and ranchers fear retaliatory tariffs will make U.S. agriculture less competitive while U.S.-imposed tariffs will make U.S. food production more expensive, squeezing already narrow profit margins, The New York Times reported. President Trump recently announced a slew of trade deals that reduced threatened tariffs as high as 35% on some countries but many deals have yet to be reached, making it likely prices will rise.
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