JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: Many banana farmers in the state are making losses after their plantations were struck by a mysterious disease. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the disease had destroyed banana trees and the source of income for 1,463 farmers since last year.

"The state agriculture department has done extensive research on the disease," he said.

"The department personnel have also explained to the farmers on ways to curb the disease by using good farming practices," he said at the state assembly here yesterday.

Abdul Aziz told Datuk Md Othman Yusof (BN - Kukup) that the department had also encouraged farmers to practise "planting cycle" by alternatively planting other crops such as bamboo and tapioca at their banana plantation which accounted for about 2,315ha of land.

"The department is assisting the farmers to utilise the cycle by supplying them with RM300(S$125) worth of fertiliser for each hectare of land.

"More than 11,000 bags of fertilisers have been supplied to the farmers affected by the disease," he said.