It's almost official, Ecuadorian bananas will reach the Brazilian market in January 2018. The news has been confirmed by the official organs of the South American giant, which has delayed the decision until after exhausting all the instances of phytosanitary control that were imposed by the Brazilian banana producers.
Ecuadorian producers have also put pressure on Agrocalidad to certify that the Ecuadorian fruit does not represent a phytosanitary risk in diseases such as Black Sigatoka or Banana Moko. In 2016, Brazil requested changes to the Work Plan on banana control, which made inspections on farms more exhaustive. The phytosanitary protocol also involves inspections of the shipments, with samples taken from 2% of the bananas shipped to that country. A source in Brazil, who preferred not to be identified, ensured that the customs authorities inspected 100% of the banana cargo, even though this is technically unfair.
Richard Salazar, President of Acorbanec, said that they had complied with all the bureaucratic protocols and that the first containers would arrive in Brazil in the last week of January. The transit time takes approximately 22 days.
Ecuador hopes to supply a growing demand for premium bananas of the highest quality to gain a niche in the Brazilian market, especially in tourism. Brazil's decision to allow the entry of Ecuadorian bananas has been rejected by a group of Brazilian producers who believe that the local market will be affected by the arrival of the Ecuadorian fruit.
Ecuador has high quality production standards and its banana is recognized by the most demanding markets in the world. Brazil is considered the third biggest producer of bananas, with approximately 500 thousand hectares devoted to this crop. Brazil produces the Cavendish, Prata, Banana Gold, Banana Land, and Apple Banana varieties.
Source: bananaexport.com