Q COSTARICA — The combination of various adverse factors brought relief to the Costa Rican agricultural sector with a “perfect storm” this year.
Producers and exporters of banana, coffee, melon, and pineapple face multiple obstacles: the strong appreciation of the colon — which accumulates 30% in the last 30 months —, the decline in the international prices of some products, the increase in the production costs, and the possible impact of the El Niño phenomenon.
Bananas
The fire of four fincas in the Atlantic region and the arrival of more than 850 workers, announced by Fresh Del Monte Produce last May 5, raised alerts in the sector. The company attributed the decision to the type of exchange rate: the income is generated in dollars, but the majority of the costs are assumed in colones.
If the colon becomes too strong, each exported dollar is worth less.
The decision worried the Corporación Bananera Nacional (Corbana)—National Banana Corporation—and the Banana Product Association (Aproban). In 2025, the country lost US$130 million due to the reduction in banana exports, dropping from US$1.24 billion in 2024 to US$1.11 billion last year.
There are other factors:
- The increase in production costs caused by the shortage of fuels and fertilizers due to the war conflict in the Middle East.
- The final storms of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 affected fincas throughout the country and provoked a more aggressive outbreak of black cigars
- Little availability of products on the market to control plagues
Coffee
Coffee producers face a double pressure: the dollar exchange and the fall of international grain prices. Arabic coffee prices in the New York Exchange went from US$440 per quintal in October 2025 to US$290 in April 2026, according to the Costa Rican Café Institute (Icafé).
The highest global prices recorded before 2025 have temporarily hidden the problem of the type of exchange, which now forcefully hits the price of liquidation to the manufacturer. For the 2025-2026 item the price is ¢115,754 per bushel (fanega in Spanish), much less than ¢132,445 for the 2021-2022 item. The Icafé attributes the fee exclusively to the deterioration of the dollar against the colon: from ¢649.59 in 2021-2022 to ¢459.65 in 2025-2026.
The panorama for things 2026-2027 is darker. With a type of dollar exchange estimated at between ¢440 and ¢460 and a record production in Brazil that will account for even more than the international prices, the Icafé projects a liquidation price of between ¢83,000 and ¢99,000 for Fanega, a figure much lower than the one from the previous thing.
Piñeros: direct coup
Pineapple
The dollar exchange rate also affects the pineapple (piña) exporters. Estimates from the National Chamber of Producers and Exporters of Pine (Canapep) indicate that the most affected dollar reduced income by US$1.6 billion between 2022 and 2025, from a total export of $6 billion.
They are not difficult to count, but they allow you to measure the presence of products that pay for plans, social charges and consumption in colones. The result is less competitiveness, more skilled managers and greater financial presence.
Melons
Melon producers anticipate a particularly challenging year. According to the Cámara de Productores y Exportadores de Melón y Sandía (Caproexmes)—Chamber of Melon and Watermelon Producers and Exporters, the outlook for the 2026-2027 cycle is uncertain, and a drop in production is expected. Among the main challenges are:
- Exchange Rate: Sales contracts and international prices are set in dollars, but a significant portion of costs—salaries, social security contributions, taxes, and fuel—are paid in colones, which impacts profits and hinders necessary investments.
- Cost Increases: A significant increase in fertilizers, pesticides, and fuel is expected, in addition to a rise in electricity bills due to the effects of El Niño.
- Logistics: The conflict in the Middle East could increase freight costs and reduce container availability, leading to delays in arrival times at destination ports. This is compounded by the limited capacity of the ports of Caldera and Limón.
- International Prices: A global overproduction of the fruit would reduce prices for the 2026-2027 harvest.
The Scenario
The conditions for the “perfect storm” are already taking shape. Across all four sectors, cautious outlooks prevail: reductions in cultivated areas, drops in exports, lower profits, and job losses are all possible.