Ecuador exported fewer bananas in 2012. -13%.

Ecuador's banana export sale averages are back to levels it had before the 2012 fall.

According to Eduardo Ledesma, director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), weekly shipments, that reached an average of 4,7 million cases by the end of last year, are currently over 5 million. In 2011, average sales reached 5.4 million cartons.

Banana is one of two non-oil traditional export items that had negative figures last year: when compared with 2011, the country stopped perceiving US$ 154.8 million. It is the largest decline in 20 years.

There were fewer Ecuadorian bananas sent to traditional markets such as Russia (-13.1%), United States (-20.9%), Eastern Europe (-23.4%), Mediterranean (-38.6%), Southern Cone (-3.3%) and North Sea (-12%).

The low productivity was the result of climatic factors such as excess rains last winter, Ledesma recalled.

"Since last month, harvest levels have improved between 15 and 20%, depending on the area of production," said Fabricio Espinoza, president of the Coastal Association of Banana Growers (Asogribal).

This result helped meet orders from Russia, Germany and Turkey. Last week, with 1.8 million cases, Ecuador achieved a record in exports to Russia. Usually, according to Espinoza, about 1.2 million cases are exported per week.

Source: EL COMERCIO

Publication date: 2/22/2013