A double threat looms over him Costa Rican banana. In case you hadn't noticed, many of the bananas offered by greengrocers and supermarkets in your area come from Costa Rica. They are cheaper than canaries and lack their wilting characteristics. In this article we will review the reasons that have producers in the Central American country in suspense. How strange plague stalks them? What about the price of the banana? Find out.
Costa Rican banana prices
The European supermarkets now offer less money to producers of Costa Rican banana. It is clear that there is an economic crisis in Europe. Therefore, distributors want to expand their margin of benefit without raising banana prices. They do not expose customers to stop buying it.
George Sauma, general manager of the National Banana Corporation (Corbana) He highlighted the importance of a block of Latin American countries demanding a fair price. This make it up Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic y Costa Rica. On the other hand, the "Tico" businessman declared that supermarkets should take into account that they too are suffering from the crisis.
Costa Rican bananas have become less competitive due to factors such as the increase in logistics costs of maritime transport. In addition, they also note the increase in carton price, the plastic and fertilizers. As a counterpart, Sauma highlights the added value of bananas. That is, all the farms in the country have environmental certifications and use 100% recycled plastic. They have also decreased by 60% el use of water in plants.
The tropical fusarium race 4 fungus
This outrageous name does not come from a zombie movie. It is the other threat that affects the Costa Rican banana and you have created the perfect storm. The fungus spreads from Colombia and Peru but, luckily, it does not do so quickly. The Phytosanitary Service of the State of Costa Rica has already taken the first preventive measures. Its objective is to prevent the entry of the fungus from surveillance at border posts.
The private sector is also mobilizing to apply other protection measures. For example, an agreement with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa). Through this, the Brazilian will send genetic material to Costa Rica to make crosses and thus create varieties resistant to the plague. The problem is serious, since this fruit has a strategic value in the economy of several Central American countries. The banana industry, the first agricultural export product, generates in Costa Rica 40.000 direct jobs y 100.000 indirect.
What can we do?
It is difficult to answer this question as a consumer. It is tempting to say that you buy bananas at a higher price. However, those who opt for a somewhat more expensive option in Spain go to banana canary. This is of enormous quality as well and energizes the economy of these beautiful islands. In addition, it is less pollutant bring tons of bananas from them than from across the Atlantic. It will be difficult to predict the economic changes that are coming in the immediate future.
