In Europe, banana demand usually slumps somewhat in the summer. "That market's now picking up. The end of summer vacations is always good for banana sales," says the German company Banafood GmbH's managing director Han Ploegmakers.
That dip was not as pronounced during the pandemic, but, says Han, summer sales are back to pre-pandemic levels. "The schools in the central and southern Netherlands have started again, and the weather's favorable for bananas. Daily market demand fluctuates slightly, with sometimes disproportionate green and yellow prices."
Han Ploegmakers (right) and chief ripener, Sander Maagendans
"The outlook for the next few weeks is good, even though there's some market uncertainty, like the effect of weather conditions. Also, our suppliers point to drought restrictions possibly limiting the number of ships passing through the Panama Canal. That's not been an issue yet, but it could have an impact," Han concludes.
After its last expansion in 2018, Banafood - an independent banana ripening facility - has a capacity of about 60,000 boxes per week. Most of its customers are in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Besides bananas, Banafood also ripens exotics like mangoes and avocados.
For more information:
Han Ploegmakers
Banafood Services GmbH
7 Carl-Kühne Street
47638, Straelen, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 173 63 96 892
Email: han@banafood.eu
Website: www.banafood.eu