In the banana market, negotiations for next year's prices have already begun. "Often the organic market is the first to want to finalise annual prices, followed later by the conventional market," says Mark Greeve of Anaco & Greeve in Poeldijk. "We generally see that the banana market is moving increasingly towards contract-based trade. Even buyers in former Eastern Bloc countries are seeking more stability, although the spot market remains very large there. At the same time, we also see the opposite trend among growers, who now want fewer contracts because recent high spot market prices have allowed them to achieve good returns."
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"The question is how realistic this is in the long term. Even at the Madrid trade fair, Ecuadorian exporters unanimously agreed that prices must rise substantially. They all want significantly higher returns for their bananas. From their perspective, that's understandable, as Ecuador has been dealing with a cold front for five months, causing volumes to drop sharply. Costa Rica's volumes are also lower. At the same time, exporters at the fair discovered that the European market is far from strong. Although banana prices improved after the traditionally quiet summer, the market is once again showing a downward trend. Green prices are fluctuating between €12.50 and €14, which is far from ideal."
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"Figures also show that banana consumption in the Netherlands is not growing. Processed products such as breakfast bars and smoothies are increasingly competing with bananas. People may talk about protein, but of course, these are still processed products," Mark continues. "One bright spot, however, is the sales of organic bananas. These are growing against the general trend, and we see more and more wholesale customers moving into the organic segment. We are also focusing increasingly on organic bananas. Anaco & Greeve imports them from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador. You need organic to move the world forward," Mark explains.
Last week, NOS published a report titled 'Is Costa Rica paying a high price for our perfect banana?' According to researchers from the National University in Costa Rica, the use of crop protection products is causing serious health issues for local residents and workers, while also damaging biodiversity in the Limón region. The broadcast also prompted questions from customers at Anaco & Greeve. "It's a pity that such a broadcast only highlights one side of the discussion. What's missing is that the bananas we import are well below European MRL standards, and organic bananas meet SKAL requirements. There are sufficient controls and measures in place to ensure that bananas reach consumers safely and responsibly. Moreover, a great deal is being done to improve the social conditions of growers in the countries of origin in terms of safety and social security. Unfortunately, such projects rarely make it into these broadcasts!"
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For more information:
Mark Greeve
Anaco & Greeve
ABC Westland 666
2685 DH Poeldijk
Tel: +31 (0) 174 210200
[email protected]
www.anacogreeve.nl
