According to IICA, the Caribbean faces an emergency following the spread of the Black Sigatoka which is a leaf spot disease that attacks  banana plants, affecting the process of photosynthesis and reducing yields.

Some of  countries seeking assistance to fight the are Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines .

“Although it has already appeared in other parts of the world, such as Central and South America, its arrival in the Caribbean and its rapid spread took the industry by surprise”, explained Humberto Gómez, Specialist in Technological Innovation for IICA.