Since 2022, as part of the FONTAGRO project ATN/RF-18761-RG, the Institute of Agricultural Innovation of Panama (IDIAP), with support from the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) and the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation (AGROSAVIA), has provided in-person training to 554 people. Including virtual sessions, the total number of trained participants has reached 638 across the country.

These training sessions aim to raise awareness about the threat posed by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) in neighboring countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. For Panama, the risk is heightened by the continuous flow of South American migrants through border areas.

Participants have learned about banana and plantain production techniques, as well as strategies for disease prevention and management, including its economic and social impact. The initiative has reached a diverse range of stakeholders in Panama’s banana and plantain production chain, including students and faculty from the University of Iowa and the University of Panama, agricultural schools, municipal representatives, customs officials, border police, and, of course, technical advisors and producers from the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Darién, and Chiriquí.

As the project enters its final year, efforts will continue across different segments of the production chain to maximize the impact of scientific findings and strengthen the country’s response to this critical agricultural challenge.