From January to August 2024, Ecuador exported 274.39 million boxes of bananas, i.e. 0.50% more than in the previous year, according to the Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec). The European Union continues to be the main destination, followed by Russia, the Middle East, and the United States, among other destinations.
It's been an atypical year for Ecuador's banana production as adverse weather conditions reduced production by approximately 15% from January to September, the Association added. Temperature variations, increased solar radiation, and excess rainfall have negatively impacted the development of the plantations. Despite an increase in bagging, production from May to September was lower than in the first four months of the year.
"It is important to note that, even though there was more bagging than in 2023, banana production in May, June, July, August, and September of 2024 was lower than in January, February, March, and April of the same year," the statement said.
In addition, until September, there's been a decrease in sales to Russia, the second most important market. This decrease is mainly due to the high price of the fruit and the economic problems derived from the conflict with Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. However, this drop has been partially offset by a 1.64% increase in exports to the European Union, which focused on Ecuadorian bananas after Colombia and Central America experienced production issues.
Source: expreso.ec