Reality check from a technical standpoint.

First off pathogen races are designated based upon the genetic resistance genes in the host species. So race 4 means that there are 3 other pathogenic genetic groups floating around in bananas.

Second off it’s Fusarium oxysporum. It is an extremely adaptable and widespread fungus. It has 39 listed subspecies groups that attacks a wide range of plant species. The pathogen is extremely genetically diverse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_oxysporum

It generally takes 5-20 years for F. oxysporum to overcome any genetic resistance. The pathogen then spreads like wildfire across the globe.

It will also take them 10+ years to introgress the new gene into new cultivars.

So bananas are saved! Yeah!!!.

In most crops growers have turned from trying to breed genetic resistance to using other control methods. Biofumigant mustards cover cropping is extremely successful if done correctly. Grafting of tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, cantaloupes, etc onto resistant rootstocks/species is also very popular.

I once read there are dozens of good banana variants for eating and growing, but in the north we usually have seen at most three of them, sometimes plantains and sometimes the mini ones, and what we consider regular ones.

There is a lot of market room for all sorts of fruits, the tropics and subtropics has an incredible diversity of fruits that the north is unfamiliar with, and locals could together in a cooperative and with partners in the US make regional markets for those fruits in the US, cutting out the big corporations.

There were a couple of brothers from san francisco that did that with acacia berries I think they were called according to an article in an old new yorker.

But fruit is just the tip of the iceberg, there is a wealth of other plants with many uses that could be traded with the north here, we need a forum to work out deals.