In fear of a banana shortage in Mayotte, the island is now allowing bananas to be imported from Mozambique (in the same way that they are already imported from Madagascar, The Comoros, Mauritius, La Réunion and the Seychelles).
The authorisation follows a risk analysis based on particular phytosanitary rules. The authorities must prove on the phytosanitary certificate that comes with the bananas that the region they are from is “unscathed” by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum, a bacteria that could destroy banana plantations. During the controls, the packaging will also be inspected for soil or vegetable debris particles that could transmit Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.cubense, which is responsible for many plant diseases.
The Préfecture says that because Mayotte is an island, it is “necessary to guard against entry of all crop parasites or pests that could destroy local production very quickly”, this is also why travellers are not allowed to transport plants in their baggage.
