Government of Saint Lucia

Go to Homepage

[Feedback]

[Site Map]

[Contact Us]

Search this Site

Good news for Banana Industry

horizontal rule

Governor General
Prime Minister
The Cabinet
The Senate
House of Assembly
St. Lucia Ambassadors
The Constitution
The Staff Orders

National Television Network
Watch NTN Live

CARICOM 26
INTERNET FIESTA
Saint Lucia Gazette
Press Releases
Speeches
Features
Notices
Vacancies
Bursaries/Scholarships
About Saint Lucia
Frequently Asked Questions
Web Links
Government Directory
Browse by Agency
Site Help
Subscribe to NEMO News
Updates to Hurricane Frances

Weather Information Service Number

(758) 454-3452

Contact: Claudia Monlouis

Friday, August 18, 2006 – The farming sector has just received the all clear for black sigatoka infestation, following a thorough survey spearheaded by the Banana Emergency Recovery Unit - BERU. Alongside this accomplishment, a decrease in the disease level of the yellow sigatoka has also been registered.

Programme Manager of BERU Mr. Hilary La Force says they will remain proactive and are looking at preparing for the possible identification of the disease on the island at at some point in the future.

“ But in the meantime every effort is being made to ensure it does not come in, using strict quarantine measures to avoid its entry but if it gets into Saint Lucia, we have already began to put an action plan in place to deal with its management which can be pretty expensive of course, because it's more expensive than controlling the yellow sigatoka, it's a major cost to banana production in St. Lucia.”

Where the Yellow Sigotoka is concerned La Force says a stringent monitoring system has assisted in keeping the infestation in check.

“ The last three years have been the best. The extent to which the management of that disease has been carried out it has been very, very good. Managing the infestation does not only involve the treatment, but involves monitoring and the BERU has engaged a company called Agrico to do the monitoring. They provide t the disease levels are at any one time and making recommendations for treatment.”

The most potent banana disease is Black Sigatoka, an air-borne fungus that affects banana production in virtually all the major banana producing regions. Isolated from this risk by the Caribbean Sea, the Windward banana industry suffers from a much milder strain of the Sigatoka disease (the Yellow Sigatoka) that requires far less spraying of fungicide to keep it under effective control.

horizontal rule

Home ] Up ] [Site Help]

© 2006 Government Information Service. All rights reserved.

Read our privacy guidelines.