Ecuador
Ecuadorian Banana Exports Increased by Almost 8% (Feb 27)
Ecuadorian banana exports started the year with 2.59M cartons, an increase of 7.89% compared to January 2022, with 35M cartons shipped. Internationally, the demand for bananas has started to increase with high prices in the free market.
January Gives a Breather to the Export of Ecuadorian Bananas (Feb 27)
Ecuadorian banana exports accumulated in January 2023, stood at 35.92M boxes, an increase of 5.41% compared to the same period in 2022, a year that dragged losses for the sector due to lower sales.
Canada
Banana Prices in Canada Begin to Be Affected by Inflation (Mar 1)
The price of bananas has remained relatively stable over the past few decades in Canada, with the average retail price in 2023 at USD 0.42/lb (CAD 0.57/lb). However, with inflation affecting all grocery items, the lack of price increases for bananas has put pressure on retailers’ gross profits. Despite this, retailers have been hesitant to raise the price of bananas due to their reputation as valuable items. The challenge now is for a major retailer to gradually increase the price until it becomes more profitable without alienating customers, as some are experiencing losses on this item for the first time. It remains unclear whether the predicted increase in food prices in 2023 will include more price increases for bananas across the major retail grocery chains.
Peru
The Peruvian Banana Has Not Yet Managed to Recover (Mar 5)
Since the beginning of the banana campaign, shipments of 4.1K tons were registered in W9, a decrease of 15% compared to the same period in 2022. The accumulation of the current season reached 36.5K tons, a drop of 3% compared to the previous campaign. The main export destinations have been Chile with 24%, the Netherlands with 23%, and Panama with 15%.
Taiwan
Banana Supply in Taiwan Is Insufficient for Export During W8 (Feb 27)
The season for exporting bananas from South Taiwan begins in March and runs through July 2023 to compete with the Japanese market. In W8, the banana prices are USD 1.3/kg. Nevertheless, the supply of bananas in the Taiwanese market has only been adequate for the South Orchard.
