Clúster Bananero begins, within the country, search for varieties tolerable to Fusarium race 4

The guild also started in May the approval process for the importation of two varieties, the formans and the GAL from an Israel company

The efforts of the Ecuadorian banana sector, throughBanana cluster, to find a variety of resistant or at least tolerant toFusariumraza 4Not only do they focus on the international arena in search of the importation of plant material, but also within the country.

The search for these varieties outside and within the country is against clock, since the plague was already detected inColombia, in August 2019,and inPeru last April.The cluster is made up of theBanano Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec), the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), the Regional Bananeros Corporation of Ecuador (Agroban) and the Second Zone Agriculture Chamber.

Juan José Pons, Cluster Coordinator, he revealed that they develop a project with the Biotechnological Research Center of Ecuador (CIBE), of the Polytechnic Higher School (ESPOL) For research and development with national varieties.

Pons said they will be invested$ 1.5 millionin the project that would have results insix years;although on the current state of this he mentioned: "We are in the phase of studying the terms of reference."

What is ongoing is the approval process for the importation of plant material of the varieties Formosana O 218; y Gal, two clones developed by Rahan Meristem, Israel, that the signatures Cormael, Jasafrut, Palmar and Asoagribal, members of the cluster in the province of El Oro, seek to bring the country.

This, once thePhyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad)On May 12, the “Protocol for the importation of plant material for the propagation of musaceae for research purposes” showed so that natural or legal persons can bring to the country tolerant varieties to the country.

However, from Agrocality, responsible for approved import, and the cluster there are contradictions regarding the current state of that process.

Pons indicated last Wednesday that in the case of the Gal variety, the banana producers of El Oro, which constitute the cluster working group in that province, presented all the required information.

"We are requesting an urgent resolution to import the material," said the cluster coordinator.

Nevertheless,Mónica Gallo, Coordinator of Plant Health of Agrocality, he confirmed, last Thursday, that the agency received part of the information provided by the company of Israel and the Cluster, which was reviewed, but returned to the guild to be completed.

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"Once all the information is available, the negotiation process can be continued for the establishment of the research protocol in the country together with the INIAP (National Institute of Agricultural Research)," Gallo said.

Meanwhile, Pons added that the process to import a tolerant variety from Taiwan, by the Government through INIAP, is also delayed.

"In the case of Taiwan Research Center, also the protocols and agreements between INIAP and they are very delayed. More agility and Iniap are required to conclude these processes," concluded the leader.

Regarding Taiwan's material, Gallo indicated that the process has been carried out together with INIAP and theTaiwan Banana Research Institute (TBRI), however, in a final communication received by the Taiwanese authorities, they requested to have the approach with the new government authorities.

"So we are informing our new authorities to be able to hold meetings that will continue with this negotiation process," the official explained.

While, The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Tanlly Vera, met this week with the Secretary General of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), Jorge Hernando Pedraza, to treat the threat that the Fusarium Race 4 for Ecuador, having it just 350 kilometers away, in the department of Piura.

Pedraza, who met with the banana cluster on Friday, June 25, in Guayaquil, to address the plague issue, confirmed that the block works to implement a permanent technical monitoring and monitoring center, which would work in Lima, to prevent the plague from extending in the region.