Every year, the peak time of banana exports from Myanmar to China falls between October and May. Within the next two months, the import volume is expected to increase substantially. He Zhongpu, Assistant to the General Manager of Yunnan Jinxin Agricultural Co., Ltd. talked about the production and market conditions of bananas from Myanmar.
“Current prices at the place of origin are 2.4-2.8 yuan/kg, 1.5 yuan lower than the same period of last year. The main reason for the lower prices is the sluggish local fruit market in China. However, the import volume has increased compared with the same period of last year. In the first ten months of this year, the total volume of Burmese bananas exported to China through the Houqiao Port in Tengchong was 700,000 tons, and we expect to export 300,000 tons to China in the coming two months,” Hezhongpu said.
Jinxin has more than 100,000 mu of plantations in Kachin in the north of Burma. Williams, a variety from Brazil, is the main variety grown, whose production is expected to exceed 300,000 tons.
When talking about the strengths of Burmese bananas, He Zhongpu said, “There are more than 300,000 mu of banana plantations in Myanmar, so the fruit can be supplied continuously throughout the year. The ecological environment here has not been polluted by the industry, and the soil is fertile. On average, the amount of pesticides and fertilizers applied here are only one-fourth of those in China. The warm climate and large temperature differences between day and night also contribute to the high quality of fruit. The sugar content is high and the surface is smooth, and also tastes more creamy and soft than other bananas. Production areas in many countries have been affected by Panama disease, but over the past 10 years since the banana industry started in Northern Myanmar, the disease has never appeared in Kachin. In addition to strict control of our planting materials, our growing process is also strictly regulated."
“Bananas from Myanmar and the Philippines have little difference in quality, but the banana industry in Myanmar is not yet as professional as the Philippines in post-harvest handling and cold chain logistics. Logistics conditions have a great impact on fruit quality, especially in the summer, where quality could be greatly impaired if bananas were not timely cooled, coupled with the heart brought by friction during transportation. Currently, we are drawing on the model from the Philippines, aiming to improve post-harvest processing and cold chain logistics to improve product quality."
“We currently mainly offer green bananas, mostly through wholesale channels. We are looking for sales channels and partners for yellow bananas in order to supply high-quality Burmese bananas directly to the supermarket."
More information:
Contact: He Zhongpu - Assistant to General Manager
Company: Yunnan Jinxin Agricultural Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 13708752139
Email: [email protected] [email protected]