Colombian authorities have confirmed that 2 banana farms are quarantined due to concerns that they are infected with the devastating disease Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race IV (TR4), while neighboring banana-growing countries are on high alert.

Over the past few weeks, there have been clear signs that the quarantine was in effect, but there were no official messages from the phytosanitary body of the Columbia Agricultural Institute (ICA) until last weekend.

The ICA said on Saturday that the national emergency plan was activated on June 17, after the manufacturer discovered the symptoms associated with the disease at the beginning of the month.

The plan provides for quarantine in four farm blocks of 150 hectares in the department of La Guajira in the north-east of the country near the border with Venezuela. Two infected farms are Eva Norte and Don Mars, the last of which supplies organic bananas for Dole.

Plant material was sent to the Netherlands for laboratory testing to confirm the presence of TR4. Results are expected in August. If confirmed, the introduction of TR4 in Latin America will be a huge blow to the continent, which supplies most bananas to world markets.

Neighboring Ecuador, the world's largest banana exporter, has already significantly increased the security of biocontrol at points of entry into the country. An information campaign has already been launched in the country and teams have been mobilized to monitor farms for signs of disease.

The International Organization for Regional Plant and Animal Health (Oirsa), which includes Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama, immediately called on members to tighten control at borders, ports and airports.