Why the banana is facing a major crisis in India

The humble banana, a major staple food for millions of families, is at risk due to a fungal disease ravaging crops world over. Recently, Colombia declared a national emergency after plantations were found infected with Fusarium wilt. The threat looms large in India as well, which is the largest producer of the fruit at 30 million metric tons (MT), accounting for 29% of the global output.

An old strain of the disease had wiped out the Gros Michel variety of banana that dominated the world market in the early 19th century. Experts have now warned that Cavendish, a popular variety of banana, that replaced Gros Michel and other banana varities in India are now at risk of a new variant of the disease, known as Tropical Race 4 (TR4).