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Virus may
cost half Kauai’s
banana crop

Fruit remains safe to eat,
but to save future crops,
trees will be destroyed

By Anthony Sommer
Kauai correspondent

LIHUE -- A new outbreak of banana bunchy top virus was confirmed on Kauai this week and more than half the island's commercial banana crop may have to be destroyed, state Agriculture Department officials say.

"This is really very serious," Guy Nagai, resident Agriculture Department pest control specialist on Kauai, said yesterday. "The farmers understand they're likely to get wiped out, but they know the disease has to be eradicated so they can replant as quickly as possible."

The outbreak was discovered by farmers in the Kapahi area mauka of Kapaa on Sunday and it is not known yet how far the virus has spread. A team of specialists will begin a survey of the entire island next week. Nagai plans to meet with farmers on Wednesday.

Banana bunchy top virus is not harmful to humans, and the bananas from infected trees are safe to eat. But infection is fatal to the trees. Their new leaves are stunted and have a bunchy appearance that gives the disease its name.

The disease occurs in banana growing regions worldwide. It is so widespread on Oahu that state officials have given up trying to fight it. They currently are trying to halt its spread on the Big Island.

Two years ago, 25,000 banana plants in the Kilauea area on Kauai were destroyed, and it was believed the disease had been eliminated.

Nagai said he does not think the new outbreak resulted from the 1998 infestation.

The disease is carried by a small aphid that eats banana leaves and transmits the virus from tree to tree. But it travels only a short distance from its birthplace.

The virus usually is spread when infected plants are planted near healthy bananas. Importing banana trees without state permits between islands is illegal.

Nagai said banana farms in the Kapahi area are downwind of a residential area. He is guessing homeowners planted infected bananas brought from another island as ornamentals, and the aphids were spread by the tradewinds.

The largest single banana farm on Kauai belongs to Godwin Esaki. Nagai said his trees are infected and will have to be destroyed.

Esaki, who could not be reached for comment, provides bananas to most of the supermarkets and many of the fruitstands on Kauai.

"Godwin came in this morning and told me what happened," said David Gregg, owner of Sunshine Market, a Kapaa fruit stand.

"Until he can grow a new crop, I'm losing the best bananas on the island. He is Kauai's master banana grower."