Ecuador imports banana plants tolerant to Foc R4T

According to the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Pedro Álava, last week, Ecuador received some 4,600 banana plants from South Africa, called Formosana GCTCV-218, a Cavendish-type variety, tolerant to Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (Foc R4T).

The minister specified that Ecuador is free of Foc R4T, and the industry seeks to determine the adaptability of this variety in agroecological terms. At the same time, there is concern that these plants arrive with pests and diseases that do not exist in the country.

Due to this, a strict protocol for reviewing these imported plants will be applied, among others, by representatives of the Agency for the Regulation and Control of Plant and Animal Health (Agrocalidad) and the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP).