Ecuador sets the minimum price of a box of bananas at US$ 7.50 for 2026

(Agraria.pe) The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Ecuador (MAGP) established, through Ministerial Agreement No. 107, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of the export banana box (of 15 pounds) at US$ 7.50, which will be in effect from January 1 to December 31, 2026. The increase is 25 cents per dollar. The measure was adopted after the Negotiation Tables, held on September 12 and 15, 2025, failed to reach a consensus to recommend the new value. In this scenario, the MAGP set the amount based on the average national production cost plus a reasonable profit, for each of the different types of authorized boxes containing export bananas. The Ecuadorian media outlet El Universo reported that the Ministry of Agriculture convened the representatives of banana producers and exporters who make up the advisory council to address the setting of the MSP for the fruit box for 2026. The producers sought to have the new price set at US$ 8.80 per box, while the exporters sought to ...