No good for any-one on blood thinners, they clot your blood.

I am not really interested in the genetics of bananas, however I do know about and care about just what I eat.
Bananas are grossly overrated whether it be as a fruit or herb.
They are at the most a pleasant addition to the diet, but as the very recent shortage of the commodity proved to me when the price of bananas became as expensive to buy as Prawns, one can most certainly do without them, survive, and still remain in good, rude, health.
Bananas on sale in Europe for example, are imported from South America and the Caribean, are of much better quality than normally sold in Australia and, more importantly, are never in shortage and invariably cheaper than the locally produced banana in Australia.
In my humble opinion the Queensland banana growers could do with some competition from imported bananas and surely it is the Federal Governments responsibility to allow import of bananas, particularly so when severe shortages occur through natural disasters.
No banana is worth $16 per kilo and no responsible government should allow the Australian public to pay such a price, when quality imported bananas(disease free) are readily available at very resonable prices, just awaiting an Federal Government import permit

I would be interested to find out where these disease-free quality bananas are coming from Jack. Most of our neighbours in the region that grow bananas have terrible problems with diseases. How are these quality bananas determined to be free of disease? If you think domestic bananas are expensive (which they generally aren't except after cyclones), you should see how expensive they get after an imported disease gets loose. Also the main reason that bananas are often cheaper from other countries is the cost of labour, bananas still don't lend too readily to mechanisation for harvesting etc.

If a protocol has been developed that ensures disease-free bananas for import, then please point us to it. If it is appropriate, then under our international treaties we have no reason to exclude trade. But until it is produced don't expect much support.

This is besides the point, though. While you may go on about the absurd cost something that is non-essential to your diet, they are are an essential staple for many tropical countries that can't grow cereal crops like wheat as a staple. The lack of research into preventing the spread of disease and producing disease resistant varieties threatens this staple for millions of people, not just your wallet.

Whilst Banana Grower victims of cyclone ravages did it tough,growers elsewhere reaped the benefits by price gouging in many cases with immature product that was artificially 'ripened',enough to turn me off Bananas until I see mature product at reasonable prices or visit the nursery and get myself a couple of decent suckers and grow my own again

Australia has developed a protocol for importation of bananas from the Philippines. See http://www.daff.gov.au/ba/ira/final-plant/banana-philippines/biosecurity_policy_determination_for_bananas

The decision was only made recently, so the impact of Cyclone Yasi could not be moderated. There is still work required before bananas can be approved for import as the Philippines needs to prove that it has the appropriate procedures in place.

if i had acres of banannas
and a cyclone was comming

i would strip off every opend leaf
[to stop it pulling the tree [ok herb]..over]

or cut the leaves back..to little sails
but heck ...then i couldnt sell my rejects..[in cold storage]

if the price goes up
its price gouging..or someone wanting more
be they greedy or ignorant..guilty or fain