Accra: Under its PlantwisePlus programme, CABI has hosted a stakeholders workshop in Accra, to review the three-year old prevention and emergency preparedness plan developed for the viral Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD).
According to Ghana News Agency, BBTD is the most destructive viral disease of banana and plantain worldwide. The disease is vectored by the banana aphids in a persistent manner. Long distances spread of the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is facilitated by human movement of infected plant materials, especially suckers. In Africa, BBTD has been reported in 19 countries already and in West Africa, the disease is present in Nigeria and Benin.
Considering the contribution of plantain (13%) and banana (6.8%) to the agricultural GDP in Ghana and to total caloric intake among the Ghanaian population, BBTD is a major threat to food and income security if introduced into Ghana. It is in this direction that CABI initiated in collaboration with Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) and other relevant stakeholders, the development of a prevention and emergency preparedness plan against BBTD in 2022.
Under this plan, regular detection surveillance activities for BBTD were organized by CABI and national partners in major plantain and banana production regions. Dr Lakpo Koku Agboyi, a Senior Scientist - Invasive Species Management at CABI, stated that although the disease is not reported yet in Ghana, a review of the 2022 Prevention and Emergency Preparedness Plan was necessary to ensure its robustness to deal with any potential threats.
Dr Agboyi emphasized the socio-economic importance of banana and plantain crops, which sustain the livelihoods of many people, and any devastation would have a negative impact. The workshop, attended by participants from PPRSD, Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), and Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, helped to review and improve the 2022 plan. A chapter on the Contingency Response Plan was added to address the increased risk of this invasive viral disease for the country.
Dr. Andrew Sarkodie Appiah, a Senior Research Scientist at BNARI, highlighted the importance of having a robust plan, considering the devastating impact of BBTD on the banana industry in the West Africa sub-region, especially in Nigeria and Benin. He stressed that Ghana should not wait for the disease to enter before taking action, given the high risk of farmers exchanging planting materials with neighboring countries.
Mr. Prudence Atippoe, Head of the Plant Quarantine Division at PPRSD, described the initiative as timely and strategic, with the objective of developing a comprehensive plan enabling Ghana to act swiftly in the event of an incursion. He outlined measures for early detection, containment, and eradication to minimize the disease's impact, and stressed the importance of stringent phytosanitary measures.
Mr. Atippoe further cautioned about the risk of unauthorized entry of banana suckers through Ghana's porous borders, especially from West African countries like Benin and Nigeria. He emphasized the need for adequately resourced Plant Quarantine Inspectors at Ghana's entry points to effectively prevent biosecurity threats and called for coordinated support from other border agencies to strengthen surveillance and enforcement efforts.
The emergency response plan aims to bolster national readiness and safeguard Ghana's banana industry from potential biosecurity threats. The workshop was held on September 30 and October 1, 2025.
