THINGS BROWN

Trimmingham’s ‘Green Gold’ hit by Moko disease

As acre by acre of his green gold is ravished by the Moko disease, Owen Trimmingham is wondering if all his dreams, built around being a banana farmer are withering away.

Trimmingham, 36, current data shows, is the farmer that has been most severely affected by Moko disease which has been confirmed to be affecting the local banana industry. {{more}}

Local officials point to two years ago as the first official sighting of the disease, but Trimmingham told SEARCHLIGHT that he started noticing the trade mark signs of the disease since 2002 but did not know what was causing them.

He said the he started noticing that some bunches were failing and ripening from the bottom.

“I thought it was just too much water or chemicals,” he said with a resigned shake of his head.

Trimmingham, who has been working in bananas since age 11, said that over the last four years, he has seen what used to be 14 acres of banana production drop to just over four acres.

“Piece by piece the plants just dying and of course you can’t plant back bananas there so, that’s it for that,” he said.

He said that just last week he spotted signs of Moko in an area of his Maroon Hill, Greiggs plantation where it did not exist before.

“I had to dig out 35 to 40 holes so now I am worried that it catching on more,” said the father of four who said that his income has been hit seriously by Moko.

He said that from earning over $100,000 per year he is now earning just over $60,000. He said that while he regularly employed ten persons he has had to lay off five of them.

“Only when it is harvesting time then I call them back,” he explained.

Originally from Richland Park, Trimmingham worked on other plantations before saving and acquiring the money needed to launch out on his own in 1993.

With the decrease in banana income and further decrease anticipated, Trimmingham has now been doing trucking to subsidize his income so that he is able to meet his financial obligations.

“I was glad to hear that Government will be helping us out, now I will just have to wait and see and hope it comes, because I and other farmers will need it,” he said.

He was referring to $3.5 million that was announced by agriculture Minister Montgomery Daniel last Monday, June 4, as Government’s initial response to the situation.

Minister Daniel said that while $490,000 will be used in the control and eradication programme, a further $1.6 million has been allocated to assist farmers most affected by the disease. Another $1.5 million has been set aside for replanting efforts.

Part of the agriculture ministry’s strategy in dealing with issue is to encourage farmers to plant other crops which are not host to Moko on the lands in the affected areas during the estimated 18 month quarantine period.

This idea in itself has already posed some challenges for farmers. Trimmingham explained that he started planting dasheen on some of the lands but the price per sack for dasheen has dropped significantly and it is close to unprofitable for farmers.

“We use to get up to $120 per sack for Dasheen now it is $30 or $40 per sack, so that is a problem,” he said.

Trimmingham said that while other crops may be planted they will not gross as much as bananas and will still leave a burden on farmers – a burden he is already feeling.

He said that he is monitoring the situation closely and is willing, with much pain, to walk away from bananas altogether if the odds continue to be stacked against him.“I have a lot of friends who have walked away, some have gone to sail and other things, but this is what I love doing, so I hope this problem is rectified soon and

we get the help the Government says they will give us,” he said, as he added that he hopes there is no more bad news for the industry.

Agriculture officials here are bracing themselves for a long, hard battle to control the Moko disease which is affecting this country’s Banana industry.

The Global Plant Health Clinic, at the Commonwealth Biological Institute informed local authorities of the diagnosis on May 31st.

One day later, Cabinet met and authorized an initial EC$3.5 million package for the battle against the dangerous banana predator.

Included in this figure is $490,000 set aside for the initial control programme, EC$1.6 million for a compensation package to affected farmers and EC$1.5 million to finance a comprehensive banana replanting and rehabilitation program.

“Moko disease is a very serious and problematic disease to control and to eradicate,” Minister Daniel said at a press conference last Monday.

He reiterated that while for close to two years concerns were raised about the presence of a disease no announcement could have been made until the diseases’ identity could be verified by an accredited source.

Local experts had however already determined the identity of the disease.

He explained that Moko was spread by moving plants, tools, clothing from infected areas into uninfected areas. The disease is also spread by insects feeding on flowers. He also said that the bacterium that causes Moko can survive in the soil for between six and eighteen months and affects all banana species including plantains.

“You farmers who are affected severely and whose entire fields will have to be treated, the government is sympathetic to your cause,” Minister Daniel said.

He noted that only six percent or 200 acres of this country’s 3300 acres of banana production lands are affected. He said that while the ministry was concerned about the presence of the disease he did not anticipate any major hindrance to banana exportation.

Farmers affected by the disease are being guided to plant crops and trees that are not hosts to Moko in the interim until the 18-month quarantine period is over.

Minister Daniel also noted that the Moko disease is not harmful to humans so it is safe to eat bananas.

A 33-member team has been commissioned to spearhead the national control programme. The treatment strategy would include the injection of individual plants using the American made herbicides Round Up or Touch down Total.

Buffer zones of up to 15 feet from infected plants would also be utilized along with the spraying of weeds in the vicinity of infected plants. There will also be a limitation of movement through infected fields and the strict disinfecting of tools.

Daniel said that with earnings of EC$23 million in 2006, Banana continues to be a major contributor to foreign exchange.

“It is the major economic activity in most of the farming communities… hence the need for all of us as responsible citizens to work together to control this Moko disease,” Daniel said.

Chief Agriculture officer Reuben Robertson said that while the initial response plan, scheduled to last between six and eight weeks has begun, the long term response to the situation needs “a little more distillation.”

Among the symptoms of the Moko disease are the withering of the navel, the premature ripening of some fingers on the bunch and the blackening of the fruit pulp along with yellowish brown marks on the cut surface of the bunch stalk.

Persons who notice any of these symptoms are being asked to contact the Ministry of Agriculture.(KJ)