Increased Demand for Costa Rican Bananas due to Supply Chain Issues in Guatemala and Ecuador

Local producers express an increased demand for first and second class bananas in week 26 in Costa Rica as higher prices were offered by buyers. Increased banana demand at this time of the year (summer) is odd because the major banana importers, the US and Europe, have decreased demand during the summer due to the high temperature and school vacation. The reason behind the demand increase is due to the lack of banana supply in major banana suppliers such as Ecuador and Guatemala. Due to the strikes in Ecuador, road blockages have prevented suppliers from delivering goods on time (trucking, air freight, and sea freight) to European buyers. Severe plantation damages from Tropical Depression Celia in Guatemala have disturbed the banana supply to the US. As the two major banana suppliers experience difficulty supplying to Europe and the US, demand for Costa Rican bananas have increased.