Are Bananas Becoming Extinct?

Introduction:

The banana, one of the world's most popular fruits, is in danger of becoming
extinct. Scientists have found that a virus has been attacking Cavendish bananas,
the most widely-eaten banana, in Asia and Australia for some years. At the
moment there is no way to fight off the disease.

Development:

Because bananas are grown in plantations, a disease can attack all of the bananas
of the same kind. It spreads through infected plants, soil and water. The new virus
is similar to the Panama disease which wiped out certain types of bananas in the
1800s. The disease attacks the banana plant and kills it off completely. Scientists
fear that the new virus called Tropical Race 4, a mutation of the Panama disease,
will eventually spread to Latin America, where most of the world's bananas are
produced.It has already destroyed whole plantations in south-east Asia and
northern Australia.

Conclusion:

Although Tropical Race 4 has been around for some decades , it has spread more
quickly in the past few years. Currently, food experts are trying to contain the
disease and stop it from spreading to other continents. Millions of people around
the world rely on the banana as a source of food. About 12 % of the world's
banana production of over 140 million tons are exported.