Bananas can disappear completely from both store shelves and the face of the earth due to a highly infectious soil fungus that causes Tropical Race 4 (TR4) disease in plants, according to Die Welt.
As Ursula Shokemele, fruit expert of the AMI marketing company, said, this mushroom has already destroyed the first entire plantations in Colombia and Honduras, and it is almost impossible to remove it: it is not afraid of any chemicals. According to the specialist, the affected areas have to be taken out of circulation for 30-40 years, and a lump of soil contaminated with spores on a farmer's shoes can lead to the spread of infection.
The disease mainly affects the Cavendish imported to Russia, which accounts for 95 percent of the global banana trade. Now scientists are trying to develop a variety that is resistant to this fungus.
We will remind, as the website kp.ru wrote, in February this year, the media reported that Russian retail chains faced difficulties in purchasing bananas due to a poor harvest in Ecuador, as well as due to supply delays and seasonal high demand.
