<p>Banana producers in Tabasco, Mexico are in the midst of a costly battle against black sigatoka, a leaf spot disease caused by an aggressive fungus. Preventative measures are costing producers up to 2 million pesos a week and up to 100 million a year, causing the Agro-Biotech Technology Transfer Laboratory to focus on reducing these costs, according to Tabasco Hoy.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Adrián Prats Leal, President of the Produce Foundation, noted that the costs incurred by the fungus represent about 35% of production costs for banana growers, but the disease is within control standards.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In Tabasco, there are about 17,000 hectares of banana groves planted in the regions of Teapa, Tacotalpa, Jalapa, and Cunduacán. So far, roughly 2,000 hectares have been affected by the fungus.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.tabascohoy.com/2/notas/index.php?ID=131036" target="_new">Banana Report</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
