Suriname president Desi Bouterse has warned that the so-called Moko disease currently hurting the country's commercial banana crop, poses a threat to the nation's entire 2,000ha of production.
According to Caribbean News Now, Bouterse announced during the presentation of the 2016 budget that nearly a quarter of the crop had already been impacted by the disease, with overseas experts contacted in a bid to stop the spread of Moko.
“The outbreak of the disease caused by Moko bacteria poses a serious threat to the survival of the banana sector in our country,' said Bouterse. 'The government has already sought international aid to assist an established national crisis team in finding solutions to this national issue.”
Dayanand Dwarka of the Union of Nickerie Banana Workers blamed poor control in the movement of agricultural products across the border for the spread of the disease.
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