Colombian banana exports in 2020 decreased by 2.6% between January and November, registering an uneven evolution in shipments depending on the destination, according to Procolombia data.
The export dynamics to European countries had their ups and downs. Shipments to Poland grew by 882% (with a total of 26 million dollars), shipments to France increased by 269% (with 18 million dollars), and shipments to Russia grew by 50% (at $ 10 million). Meanwhile, sales to Belgium, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK fell by 20% ($149 million), 2.9% ($109 million), 35% (54 million dollars), 12% (51 million dollars), and 15% (116 million dollars), respectively. The five countries in which shipments decreased accounted for more than 50% of all Colombian banana exports
However, exports to other overseas markets increased. Exports to the United States increased slightly by 1.5%, going from 116 million dollars to 118 million. Exports to South Korea experienced a spectacular increase of more than 1,600%, going from 724,031 dollars in 2019 to 12.9 million dollars.
“Exports and production, in general, remained stable. We were able to comply with our national and international commercial commitments. There were some logistical problems due to the natural restrictions of the pandemic, but we were able to circumvent them and reach the markets where we have a presence,” stated Emerson Aguirre Medina, Augura president.
Exports by Department
Antioquia was the leading exporting department with exports that amounted to 504 million dollars, i.e. more than half of the country's total. It is followed by Magdalena, with 278 million dollars; Cundinamarca, with 1.2 million dollars, and Bogota, with 425,000 dollars.
“The Colombian banana has been gaining popularity in the world. This is in part due to the certifications that we and our associates have been obtaining thanks to the quality of the fruit that we offer,” Aguirre said.
According to Augura, there are 51,227 hectares of bananas in the country: 35,083 in Uraba, Antioquia, and 16,144 in Magdalena and La Guajira. The banana sector's challenges this year are to carry out the first tests to combat Fusarium in the Uraba laboratory and to implement the logistics of vaccination against COVID. Negotiations with the large supermarket chains in the world will also be key.
Source: agronegocios.co