In the northwest region of the Dominican Republic, a large number of banana plantations have been considerably damaged by the Sigatoka fungus, causing serious losses to hundreds of farmers in the Valverde and Montecristi provinces.

Farmers and banana growers in the communities Doña Antonia, Hatillo, La Palma, Guajaca, Villalobos, Villa Sinda, Castañuelas, Villa Vásquez, Guayubín, Amina, Cana Chapetón, Cerro Gordo among others complain that that the plague in their plantations has taken them to bankruptcy.

They said the situation has forced them to seek government help and thanked the crop dusting paid by the region’s banana growers associations and helped by technicians of the Agriculture Ministry, whose director Salvador Jiménez on Friday sent 740 liters of fungicide and pledged a similar amount in the next few days.

Banana growers reportedly lose more than RD$7.0 million every week from the damages caused by the disease caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis.

For original article, see http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/economy/2012/1/31/42501/Fungus-ravages-banana-plantations-in-the-Northwest