KRALENDIJK – Bonaire is taking another step towards reducing its dependence on food imports. The Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) is launching a trial to grow bananas on the island.
The department is currently putting the finishing touches on the planting of between 100 and 150 small banana plants of the Dwarf Cavendish variety, a popular type of banana. According to LVV director Maurice Adriaens, the variety to be planted on Bonaire is relatively resistant to wind, an important characteristic given the island’s climate conditions.
The plants were specifically imported from the Netherlands to ensure they are completely free of disease. This is important because the Cavendish banana is vulnerable worldwide to various fungal diseases, including the well-known Panama disease, which poses a serious threat to the commercial cultivation of this banana variety.
Trial
This is the same type of banana that consumers currently find in supermarkets across Bonaire. Although almost all bananas on Bonaire are currently imported, the island’s climate does make banana cultivation genuinely possible. In the coming months, it will become clear whether the project proves successful and whether it is a viable option.
