By Belize Live News Staff: Belize’s sugarcane industry is facing a new threat as the fusarium fungus has been detected on cane plantations in the north. As the sugarcane crop season approaches, farmers and officials are anxious about the potential impact of this disease, which could cause a significant reduction in yields.
Jose Mai, Area Representative for Orange Walk South, expressed concern about the situation, noting that Belizean farmers are already contending with pests like the frog hopper and the stem borer. Now, with the arrival of this new disease, the industry faces yet another challenge. Mai stated, “We know it will lead to drastic reduction in sugarcane yields, and that’s worrying because we have frog hopper to deal with, we have now the stem borer, and now we have this new disease in Belize.”
In response, Belizean officials have reached out to agricultural experts from Brazil for assistance. Mai confirmed that the Brazilian specialists will be arriving soon to assess the situation and provide guidance on managing the disease.
According to Mai, the spread of the fusarium fungus is linked to climate change, particularly rising soil and air temperatures. “The high temperatures in the soil, the high temperatures have just caused the fungus to become a pathogen, and so we have one more disease to deal with,” he explained.
As December approaches, the start of the sugarcane harvest season, farmers are hoping for quick solutions to minimize losses.
