Mexico: Exports of banana to Europe are stopped

The contingencies led producers of the state to stop sending shipments of 200 tons, which weakened its price ...

Banana exports to Europe have dropped by half as a result of health alerts by the influenza type A H1N1, and that although there was no restriction on agricultural production in Mexico, buyers applied cautiousness because of the nervousness which was extended in the world population by the outbreak which was reported from this country. This was admitted by the producers, primarily the association of Plantain producers in the Sierra.

The precise reduction was of 10 containers, 5 per week, and since each carries 20 tons, the fall is of 200 to 100 tons in frequency of designated shipments.

The reduction was only reported for the previous two weeks, which were some of the worst registered for the swine influenza epidemic.

At the same time, the price of the fruit in the country began to decline, after reaching a record price of 140 pesos per box of 18 and a half kilograms, it is now at the beginning of this week at 100 pesos in wholesale prices in the Central de Abasto in the capital of the state.

In March, the leader of the banana producers of Teape and president of the Mexican Council of Foreign Trade (Comce), Adrián Prats Leal, reported that the crop was at levels 40 percent below the average production of the year.

According to what was stated by Adrián Prats Leal, exports were released at a rate of 15 to 20 containers per week, with a capacity of a thousand boxes per each container, which meant 20 tons each, and 400 tons per week. But with the arrival of the virus, the rise in the dispatch of shipments via boat collapsed.

State production

According to data from the producers in the region of the Sierra there are about 7 thousand hectares, of which each hectare produces about 500 boxes of plantain a year, resulting in a production of over 600 thousand cases per year just over 50 thousand per month.

It is noteworthy to mention that last year; Tabasco plantain production was hampered by 200 thousand hectares, due to the rising of the rivers, which represented a loss of about 8 million pesos.

Source: Tabasco Hoy

Publication date: 5/19/2009