According to Paul Gonzales, President of Machala's Agricultural Centre, banana producers are feeling suffocated; an indication that the conversion of crops is becoming an increasingly attractive option for small producers.
"This is terrible because the banana industry is the largest employer in the country and its reduction would bring unemployment not only for the region but for the whole nation," Gonzales said.
Negative Factors
According to Gonzales, exporting companies are pressuring producers "looking for reasons to demand that the official price of a box of bananas comes down and we're not about to let that happen."
Another problem that small producers face is the high cost of production. Taxes and high input costs are the tip of the iceberg leading banana producers to change crops.
Fewer hectares
Paul Gonzales indicated that production in 2013 was bad and noted that the above factors coupled with the development of cities had led to a reduction in hectares.
"It's much more profitable to plant other crops, but this generates less employment. Additionally, cities are growing rapidly so the areas that were once productive become urban expansion areas," he said.
According to the latest global banana summit, at least 60,000 hectares of bananas were lost during 2013, 50 percent of which were located in the province of El Oro.
Source: Lahora.com.ec