ST. LUCIA PLACED ON ALERT FOR THE DREADED TR4 DISEASE

Agriculture officials are taking urgent steps to safeguard St. Lucia’s banana and plantain crops from the feared tropical race 4 or tr4 disease. To date there is no known treatment or cure for this fungal disease that has destroyed banana plantations in Asia and Africa. There are reports of the presence of the tr4 disease in Ecuador and Colombia with Central America and the Caribbean listed as high risk for the tr4 disease. Stanley Lucien reports that the ministry of agriculture has proceeded to put structures in place to help keep the tr4 disease away from our shores.