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thewayneI freely admit that I don't like bananas. Never have, probably never will. Didn't like 'em as a little kid, don't like 'em as an adult.
But that's just me. Lots of people like 'em, and more power to them. (actually, fried plantains are pretty good, I have to admit that)
I did not know that the bananas enjoyed by our grandparents are not the current strain. The older strain, called Gros Michel, is totally extinct. It was wiped out by a blight known as Panama Disease. The current strain pumped into markets by Dole and Chiquita is called Cavendish, it was resistant to Panama Disease.
Notice the word "was".
Apparently Panama Disease is back, and it's attacking Cavendish. This has huge potential for devastation in parts of Africa where it is a major staple of their diet.
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/02/0033211
But that's just me. Lots of people like 'em, and more power to them. (actually, fried plantains are pretty good, I have to admit that)
I did not know that the bananas enjoyed by our grandparents are not the current strain. The older strain, called Gros Michel, is totally extinct. It was wiped out by a blight known as Panama Disease. The current strain pumped into markets by Dole and Chiquita is called Cavendish, it was resistant to Panama Disease.
Notice the word "was".
Apparently Panama Disease is back, and it's attacking Cavendish. This has huge potential for devastation in parts of Africa where it is a major staple of their diet.
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/02/0033211
