Asked about the current situation for bananas in Iran and how the market works, Mr Alireza Emami, CEO of Zarrin Group, an Iranian company with over 80 years’ experience in the production, processing and trade of fresh produce, outlined that “Our market margins and prices in the banana market are defined by supply and demand. In other words, when the supply (import to Iran) goes up and exceeds the normal margins for the season, the market consequently falls price-wise.”
However, he stresses that Iran’s local fruit production also has an impact on banana demand in the domestic market. “When local fruit production increases, demand for bananas and other imported fruits in general shrinks.”
Regarding the current time of the year, he states that Iran’s stonefruit production is normal, and at the same time, banana imports are quite large. “Large volumes of both Philippine small carton bananas and Latin American big carton bananas are being imported, and in fact, we have one of the worst markets of the past 10 years.”
He says they normally expect a good market for bananas in March, April and May; however, this season “not only did we not benefit from the usual good market conditions, but we have actually suffered the worst conditions in a decade, which have continued even in June and at the start of the Holy month of Ramadan.”
Mr Emami assures that Zarrin Group has not escaped this problem. “A part of our banana purchases were contracted; however, we have made fewer spot purchases and adjusted our volume based on market demand.”
For more information:
Zarrin Group
Nooshin Mohammadali
Tel: +98 21 22922706-8
Fax: + 98 21 22253113
Tel: +98 21 22922706-8
Fax: + 98 21 22253113