Agricultural officials in St Lucia have announced the discovery of two suspected cases of the fungal disease Black Sigatoka in two of the Caribbean island's banana plantations.
Should either of the cases be confirmed, it would mark the first time the disease had been detected on the island and a huge blow to its banana export industry.
St Lucia's Minster of Agriculture Ezekiel Joseph told reporters the disease had first been spotted in the south-east of the island, while a report on the St Lucia Star website suggested the suspected affected areas were in Combat and Forestiere.
'We are now embarking on a comprehensive survey islandwide to determine the extent of the problem and from that we will know the measures we need to undertake to either eradicate or control,' Mr Joseph told the Caribbean Media Corporation.
Towards the end of last year, a case of the fungal leaf spot disease was confirmed on the neighbouring island of St Vincent.
Eden Compton, St Lucia's Director of Agricultural Services, told the Star that the disease could pose a serious threat to the local banana sector.
'Since it is a fungus and it produces spores it can be spread by the wind, by water, by insects and affects mostly bananas and plaintain,' he told the newspaper. 'Of concern is the spread by human beings from infected areas to non-infected ones.'
To respond to the threat, the Ministry of Agriculture has set up a national taskforce aimed at eradicating the disease.
As well as cordoning off the suspected areas, further surveys of the island's plantations are planned.
