The bananas which have contracted Panama disease are safe to
eat, said the Ministry of Agriculture on Saturday.
In the southern China province of Hainan, the price of bananas
has dropped dramatically after consumers were scared by misleading
media reports that described the disease as "SARS of the banana"
and called infected bananas "poisonous fruit".
An official with the ministry said the banana is a major cash
plant in south China and has won good reputation among
consumers.
He said the country has grown 260,000 hectares of bananas and
produces nearly 7 million tons every year, ranking third in the
world.
Ninety percent of the bananas are of find breed, said the
official.
The ministry has sent experts to major banana producing areas to
investigate the epidemic situation and help farmers to prevent the
disease, he said.
Panama disease, also called Banana Wilt, is a devastating
disease caused by a soil-inhabiting fungus species. It is
widespread in Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and many other
regions.
So far, the world has no effective cure for the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2007)