Disease could wipe out banana crop

Experts say crop could go extinct within decades

A new report says a strain of fungus is killing bananas in Asia.

There is some absolutely bananas news for fruit lovers. One of the world's most popular kinds of bananas could soon go extinct.

A very strong strain of fungus, called Panama disease, is wreaking havoc on bananas in southeast Asia. The disease is wiping out crops in Taiwan. It's also threatening to wipe out plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia.

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The disease has been spreading and growing since at least 2013. Scientists and others are unsure how to stop it.

Most of the bananas we eat in the US are grown in Latin and South America. In fact, more than three-fifths of the world banana crop are grown there. As of now, our crops aren't affected. However, scientists say the disease has the ability to spread overseas. 


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