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2024 International Plant Quarantine Forum Focuses on Innovative Technology Applications: Taiwan Collaborates with Central and South American Scholars to Promote Monitoring and Control of Banana Fusarium Wilt
The International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and the International Regional Organisation for Plant and Animal Health (Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria, OIRSA) jointly hosted the 2024 International Plant Quarantine Forum in Guatemala City from October 15-16. This forum focused on the promotion of sustainable development of the banana industry in Central America and the facilitation of in-depth exchanges on strategies for controlling Fusarium wilt.
Tropical race 4 (TR4) of fusarium wilt poses a major threat to the global banana industry. Bananas, a key export crop in Central America, play a vital role in the region’s economy by providing abundant employment opportunities and generating significant export revenue. For example, Guatemala, which is one of Taiwan’s two diplomatic allies in the region, ranks as the world’s third-largest banana exporter, accounting for 10.8% of global banana exports. In Belize, the banana industry represents 20% of the country’s agricultural output. If TR4 spread to this region, it would have a severe impact on the banana industry.
Taiwan detected TR4 as early as the 1960s and was the first country to publish scientific literature on the disease. Leveraging Taiwan’s extensive experience in agricultural technology and disease control, the TaiwanICDF and OIRSA have been collaborating since 2022 on the Regional Project for the Prevention and Control of Fusarium TR4 in Bananas in Central America. This forum brings together representatives from countries across Central America including Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, as well as Taiwan’s South American ally, Paraguay. Additionally, the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), which is partnered with the TaiwanICDF on the project, has been invited to share insights on monitoring abnormal banana growth using satellite remote sensing technology. This highlights Taiwan’s technological expertise and its tangible contributions to the Latin American region.
The 2024 international plant quarantine forum: a key platform for the development of the central American banana industry and a chance to deepen Taiwan’s cooperation with central and south American countries. This forum focused on promoting the healthy development of the global banana industry and strengthening regional collaboration in plant quarantine and protection. It also served as an opportunity for Taiwan and countries in Central and South America to work together in combating the spread of Fusarium wilt.
- 更新日期: 2024/10/30
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