Agriculture Dept. begins distribution of plantain, banana seedlings.

Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez Torres said the agency he leads is “implementing an aggressive and responsible preventive plan to protect our farmers and ensure the continuity of these crops, which are essential to our food supply and our economy.”

By THE STAR STAFF

Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez Torres announced on Thursday the launch of a distribution program for tissue-cultured seedlings for plantains and bananas, backed by an initial investment of over $400,000.

“The development of high-quality seedlings was one of the priorities we established from the very beginning of our tenure in December, because we recognize the threat that Fusarium poses to the plantain and banana industry throughout the region,” Rodríguez Torres said in a written statement.

The first delivery took place on Tuesday at the Juana Díaz Agricultural Experiment Station, where 40,000 seedlings were distributed.

The Agriculture Department projects that it will distribute nearly 215,000 disease-resistant seedlings among farmers across six agricultural regions of Puerto Rico.

Rodríguez Torres noted that Fusarium is not currently present in Puerto Rico; however, he said, the agency has activated a preventive plan in response to warnings regarding the potential arrival of the disease in the Caribbean.

“Puerto Rico does not yet have a presence of this pest, but we are not going to wait for it to arrive before taking action,” he said. “We are implementing an aggressive and responsible preventive plan to protect our farmers and ensure the continuity of these crops, which are essential to our food supply and our economy.”

The plantain seedling program is expected to impact up to 50 farmers, with deliveries ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 seedlings per producer. Regarding bananas, the program will initially benefit 20 farmers, providing 90,000 seedlings to cover nearly 97 acres (100 cuerdas) of cultivated land.