HYDERABAD: Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, and an Australian government-supported international research initiative have agreed to strengthen collaboration to protect Pakistan`s banana sector from devastating diseases, including Panama Wilt and Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV). This disease poses a growing threat to a crop that accounts for more than 90pc of the country`s banana production.

The understanding was reached at a meetingbetweenSAUViceChancellor Engr Dr Altaf Ali Siyal and Dr Munawar Raza Kazmi, focal person of the international project, `Agroecological Management of Sustainable Banana Systems for Smallholders in Asia.

The project was being implementedwith support of Australian government and is led by the University of Queensland, Australia.

The meeting focused on strengthening research cooperation, developing sustainable disease-management strategies, and enhancing the resilience of banana production systems against emerging biological and climate-related challenges.

Dr Altaf Ali Siyal said that Sindh remained the backbone of Pakistan`s banana industry, providing livelihoods to thousands of farming families across major banana-growing districts, including Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Thatta.

`International cooperation is essential to safeguard Pakistan`s banana industry from rapidly increasing biological threats and the impacts of climate change,` he said while appreciating objectives of the project andexpressing SAU`s commitment to collaborative research and technology transfer.

Dr Munawar Raza Kazmi, Country Manager at Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Islamabad, briefed the VC on the project and said it aims to address the growing threat of Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4), widely known as Panama disease, which is considered one of the most destructive diseases affecting banana crops worldwide. The project also seeks to develop solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on banana production.

He said that the initiative was being implemented across Australia, Indonesia, Laos, Pakistan and the Philippines, bringing together international expertise to support smallholder farmers and strengthen sustainable banana production systems.