A soil born fungus called Tropical Race Four has brought banana into the limelight as this fungus has been devastating our most healthy fruit. The whole world is now thinking ‘is it time to kiss bananas goodbye’ as the news of banana crop failure hit the headlines. If the fungus is not brought under control then it will not be too long before we will have to kiss bananas goodbye for ever.

Cavendish banana, the most commonly available variety throughout the world has been affected with a similar disease as HIV in humans. For consumers this is the only variety of edible banana and for the suppliers this family of banana is what makes banana export business viable. Although there are thousands of varieties of bananas on earth, but for the consumers this kind of banana tastes much better than the rest varieties. Cavendish banana grows in large bunches, has a decent size, has tasty pulp inside and most importantly it doesn’t ripen or bruise too quickly and are thus ideal for exporting to other countries. Looking at the current situation of banana crops, it is equally scary for the banana farmers because they will be the first one to kiss bananas goodbye.

Cavendish banana are highly nutritious containing Potassium, Magnesium, fiber, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C in excess. To kiss bananas goodbye would mean kissing goodbye to a highly nutritious food that does not have an alternative or substitute for it.

If you have some banana at home then it might be the last or you might be cooking bananas for the last time because the banana shelf of all supermarkets would go empty. Since there are innumerous health benefits of eating banana, it will difficult for everyone to kiss bananas goodbye. It is highly indispensable as a fruit and thus scientists are figuring out ways of controlling Tropical Race Four to save banana trees. Secondly, a team of scientists are developing genetically modified Cavendish banana that would have a natural immunity to nullify the effect of soil fungus in future.

The question about the need to kiss bananas goodbye or not is still unknown. Even in the past our nutritious fruit has faced similar health problems in Taiwan and Malaysia where acres and acres of banana crop were devastated but scientists figured our ways of dealing with the situation and there was a comeback. This time we will have to wait and watch.

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