Experts wade in as new banana disease ravages farms in Ogun

Experts are working hard to prevent further spread of a new banana disease known as Banana Bunch Top Disease (BBTD) that is ravaging banana farms in many parts of Ogun State. The disease first broke out at Idologun in Yewa South Local Government Area of the state and has spread to other parts of the […]

Experts are working hard to prevent further spread of a new banana disease known as Banana Bunch Top Disease (BBTD) that is ravaging banana farms in many parts of Ogun State.
The disease first broke out at Idologun in Yewa South Local Government Area of the state and has spread to other parts of the state. They include Ado-Odo/Ota, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon and Abeokuta North council areas. It has also been witnessed in Ibarapa zone of Oyo state.
To avoid further spread of the disease said to be incurable for now, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and National Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT) have commenced sensitisation of farmers from the affected areas on ways to prevent the disease in their farms.
At a workshop held at the lobby of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) auditorium, Abeokuta, speakers enjoined farmers to take to the preventive measures outline in curtailing the BBT disease, declaring that for now there is no cure for it.
The workshop, which also had the presence of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, was meant to create awareness and formally launch the anti-BBT disease campaign in the state.
The leader of the team, Dr. Lava Kumar, said the institute had been able to identify the vector responsible for the BBTD, “but, we are yet to find a permanent vaccine. For now, what we have is the preventive approach, which is being accepted by the farmers.”
He said the disease migrated from Benin Republic into Idologun community in Yewa South area of Ogun State, where it was first discovered. “And we have been able to provide new BBTD-free suckers for the farmers in the area. For now, prevention is the best option for BBTD control.
“It includes avoiding import or moving planting materials from regions in which BBTD is known and using only healthy planting materials.”
On the BBTD recovery production, Dr. Sunday Akinyemi from NIHORT, explained the steps so far taken in the recovery steps. He disclosed that the initial fear of government’s plan to take over the affected plantation from original farmers has been put to rest.
“Our farmers’ initial fear is that government wanted to coin them at getting the land from them, hence their fear not to release the affected farms. But, when we carried out our duties by removing the affected plantation and bringing another fresh suckers without problem, the farmers started co-operating with us,” he said.
State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ronke Sokefun, warned state farmers about rapid spread of the disease which she said is communicable. She explained that the disease does not have any effect on human beings, but, it could be transferable to other plants if not prevented.
She added: “This disease does not have a cure and cannot be tolerated and we don’t want to discomfort our farmers, so we have to eradicate plants with such disease.”
Obasanjo, in his remark, tasked IITA to find resistance vaccine that would provide permanent elimination for the now ravaging Banana Bunchy Top (BBT) disease.
He said the institute could bail out the country from disease when a permanent solution is found to tackle it.
“I think we can do more on our efforts to tackle the disease. The institute should go after the research to get the resistance drug or vaccine to completely eliminate the disease,” Obasanjo said.
The Baale (Community Leader) of Idologun community, Chief Alade Fashina, said the intervention of the Institute had saved the plantain farmers from total extinction.
With Nigeria as the second largest producers of plantain and banana in West Africa, “there is every cause to be worried by this trend, in order to save them from total extinction. For now, there is no permanent cure for BBT disease, but, we shall continue to do our best to ensure that healthy and nutritious plantains and bananas are available on our tables and kitchens,” Kumar, the leader of the experts team, told Daily Trust in an interview.