CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC):

Prime Minister Stephenson King has warned that unless the current threat to the banana industry is quickly removed, untold harm may be done to an industry that still contributes significantly to the economy of the Windward Islands.

He said the industry is now under a serious threat "that can deliver a crippling blow to what still remains a vital source of income for the economies of these islands".

"So it is time for a joint intervention where we can get the players to understand that the industry is bigger than any individual achievement or individual ego, but rather, they would be better off determining how, by acting together, we can work in the interest of the farming community of these islands," said King.