Weekly exports of Peruvian bananas fell by 25%, from 120 containers to 90 containers per week, due to the decrease in production caused by the lack of rains in the main growing areas, reported Valentin Ruiz Delgado, president of the National Board of Bananas.
"Only in Piura, which accounts for 85% of national production, water shortages have resulted in an increase of pests such as the red spot," he said.
Thus, the yield per hectare has dropped by 50%. In total, we haven't been able to harvest about 3,888 tonnes of bananas nationwide in the last month, Ruiz estimated.
In turn CEPIBO, the second biggest national exporter of bananas, estimated that this year's production could shrink by 50% if the rains didn't improve in March. "Yields used to be of about 1,500 cases per hectare in a year, and it's probable that they will decrease this year," said a spokesman.
He said that the Chira Valley, in Piura, was supplied with water from the Poechos reservoir, which had a water capacity of 90 million cubic meters last Friday. "We can only water the plants once a month with that amount of water, and not twice, as it should be," he said.
Expectations were that nearly 202,176 tons of organic bananas would be exported this year; an estimate that is currently being reviewed.
Source: Agraria.pe