(QCOSTARICA) Costa Rica banana sales up was 24% for first half of the year, compared to the same period in 2015, reports the Corporación Bananera Nacional (Corbana), the national banana corporation.
In an article by La Nacion, in the first half of the year better weather conditions led to a 17% increase in export volumes compared to the same period in 2015. In terms of value, banana exports in the first half of the year rose by 24%.
Jorge Sauma, general manager of Corbana, explained that “… last year was very difficult for banana workers who were affected by flooding on farms. Therefore, he said, the increase compared to 2015 is misleading and is actually just a recovery. However, even comparing the banana figures for the first 6 months of this year with the same period in 2014 (a “normal” year), the increase can be described as good, Sauma recognized. ”
Banana is the main export product of Costa Rica, measured by currency generation, ahead of pineapple, medical devices and medical prosthesis, according to the statistics of 2015 exports by the Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER).
Costa Rica Bananas Around The World. In the first six months of this year, Costa Rica exported a total of 61.2 million boxes, each 18.14 kg, of the fruit, according to figures Corbana. Between January and June 2015, the volume reached 51.1 million boxes, while in the same period of 2014 this figure was 57.1 million boxes.
Corbana figures indicate that banana sector generates 40,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs. Most of the plantations are located in the Caribbean (Limon), where there is an estimated 43,500 hectares cultivated.
The principal market for Costa Rican bananas are the United States, buying up 38% of sales, Italy (11%), UK (8%), Belgium (7%), Germany (7) and the Netherlands (4%).
