SOUTH America grows a lot of bananas.
A new report by IndexBox entitled "South America: Bananas – Market Report. Analysis And Forecast To 2025", gives an insight into just how big the South American industry is.
Although banana production in Central and South America contracted slightly, it is still a mammoth to behold.
According to the report, production of bananas grew from 25.7 million tonnes in 2007 to 28.7m tonnes in 2016 by +1.3pc per year, over the past nine years.
“There was an overall upward trend with only mild fluctuations from 2007-2016. In value terms, it accounted for $12.4 billion in 2016, contracting slightly after eight years of consistent growth,” the report said.
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”In 2016, Brazil (24pc) and Ecuador (23pc) were the key banana producing countries in Central and South America.
“The other major producers were Guatemala (13pc), Costa Rica (8pc), Mexico (8pc), Colombia (7pc) and the Dominican Republic (4pc).”
Comparatively, according to the Australian Banana Growers Council, Australian banana growers sold a record 414,000 tonnes of fresh bananas (based on national levy figures) in 2016/17.
“In 2015/16, that figure sat at 393,000 tonnes and, in 2014/15 , 371,000 tonnes. These were also record years,” the ABGC said.
“Farm production was valued at $600 million in 2016/17 and the industry contributed $1.3 billion to the national economy (including flow-on benefits).”
Ashley Walmsley
Ashley Walmsley is the editor of ACM's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables, while also covering horticulture stories for the agricultural papers and websites. He also writes the weekly, The Ringer, column in the Qld Country Life.
Ashley Walmsley is the editor of ACM's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables, while also covering horticulture stories for the agricultural papers and websites. He also writes the weekly, The Ringer, column in the Qld Country Life.
