KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):

Agricultural officials here have confirmed that the country's banana industry is being affected by the dangerous, moko disease. Minister of Agriculture Montgomery Daniel said the results of the latest set of samples sent to the Global Plant Health Clinic at the Commonwealth Biological Institute confirmed the presence of the bacteria Ralstonia Solanacearum which causes the moko disease in bananas.

He noted that for close to two years concerns were raised about the presence of a disease affecting banana plants, but said that no announcement could have been made until the disease's identity could be verified by an accredited source. "Moko disease is a very serious and problematic disease to control and to eradicate," Daniel said.