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Banana
quarantine
approved

It applies to all banana
plants on Kauai, but
farmers can sell the fruit

By Treena Shapiro
Star-Bulletin

The Board of Agriculture approved a quarantine of all banana plants on Kauai in an effort to limit the spread of the banana bunchy top virus.

The new restrictions mean banana plants can't be moved around or off Kauai without a permit, but for now growers can still sell the fruit, Kauai farmers said after today's board action.

Violation of the quarantine could result in fines of $100 to $10,000.

For now, banana plants will not be destroyed. But the Department of Agriculture plant quarantine branch is continuing a survey of plants and may come back to the board with a recommendation to kill plants in the affected areas.

Jerry Ornellas, owner of Kainahola Banana Farms thinks that his banana plants will eventually have to be destroyed.

"Kauai almost unanimously supports eradications," Ornellas testified at today's meeting. He supports the eradication even though it would put him out of business until the quarantine is lifted because he would not be able to replace the plants that are destroyed.

In 1998, Kauai produced a half-million pounds of bananas, which had a sales value of approximately $212,000.

Banana bunchy top virus is spread by an aphid. It stunts the growth of the plants resulting in a "bunchy" appearance and can prevent the plant from bearing fruit.