2.03% more exports than last year; that would be the result achieved by Ecuadorian banana traders this year. Despite the weather and natural conditions that have loomed in Ecuador in recent weeks, the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE) confirmed that the lands devoted to this fruit have not been affected, so both the harvest and export should follow their course without unusual problems in what the organization considers a "banana year."
"We hope the winter begins to decline, because while there has been no flooding or major losses from the natural phenomena we have suffered, we have seen increased costs, because we are buying imported agricultural fuel, which has a higher cost than diesel, and are facing other fiscal measures that affect the competitiveness of Ecuadorian bananas," said Eduardo Ledesma, president of AEBE. Ecuador has considerable growth potential in the production and export of bananas; it is an activity that generates jobs and foreign exchange for the state and for the entire production chain. "It is regrettable that the authorities do not promote the banana industry as it deserves," he states.
"Ecuador has top-level techniques in agriculture and meets the environmental and social standards required by various international certifications, but we have a number of local regulations that complicate the shipment of bananas. Additionally, we are losing market share due to lack of trade agreements. We hope we can sign the agreement with the European Union soon, because otherwise consumers would have to pay 0.65 cents more for each box of Ecuadorian bananas compared to those of other Latin American countries, which would entail a great disadvantage against our competitors," continues Ledesma.
"We are also in the process of reactivating the Global GAP and Rain Forest certifications, supporting also associations of small producers to allow them to become Fairtrade-certified. Becoming successful in the application of such measures would benefit small and medium producers and labourers," concludes the representative of the AEBE.