Alessandro Dal Bello from Sife, a ripening and distribution company from Padua, reports that banana prices are average and quality is good and will improve over the next few weeks. The produce comes mainly from Costa Rica and Ecuador.
Piero, Paolo and Alessandro Dal Bello at Fruit Logistica
"The average these days is around €15.50 per carton, in line with past years. 2018 was the only season characterized by higher prices, but it was due unique conditions. The first few weeks of 2019 have been rather slow but prices have picked up."
According to Dal Bello, demand is currently slightly higher than supply. Prices are destined to grow or stabilize at a satisfactory average at least until late May. Demand drops in Italy during the summer. Average prices range from the premium level to secondary brands costing less than the average.
"There will not be much produce available until Easter, then quantities will increase. Quality will improve too and peak in April and May."
In early 2018, one banana carton exceeded €17, so a couple of Euros more compared to the average of the past few years. The international standard weight for one carton is 40 pounds (18.14 kg), while it often exceeds 19 kg in Italy.
Contacts:
Dal Bello SIFE
Corso Stati Uniti 23
35127 Padova (PD) - Italy
Tel.: +39 049 8703000
Email: direzione@sife.it