The president of Uniban, Manuel Laborde, highlighted that 2025 has so far been a good year for the Colombian banana sector, with an estimated growth of 12% in terms of volume, equivalent to 43 million boxes exported, thanks to technical work in the fields and favorable weather conditions during the first half of the year.
"The first quarter was very rainy, which facilitated the fruit's growth. This has been a banana year," said Laborde, stressing that controlling black sigatoka, one of the main threats to the crop, has been key to maintaining productivity. Such controls rely on a combination of manual labor, rotation of treatments, and constant training of growers.
© Diana Sajami | FreshPlaza.com
However, the leader warned that the sector's financial sustainability is under severe pressure. In the last two years, 2,000 hectares have been lost in Urabá, not because of disease, but because many producers have abandoned the crop due to low profitability. "Some of those decided to switch to oil palm, a more stable and less labor-intensive crop," he said.
Laborde insisted that the price of bananas should reflect real costs and allow a fair return for producers. "Bananas are an inelastic product; consumers will continue to buy them even if their price goes up a few cents. There is room for the whole chain to make a fair profit," he said, citing as an example that despite the 10% tariff temporarily imposed by the U.S., demand increased.
© Uniban
Currently, more than half of Uniban's sales go directly to supermarkets in Europe and the U.S. However, increasingly stricter European restrictions on the use of agrochemicals and certifications are leading to a natural shift to the "more flexible and less restrictive" U.S. market," he said.
Uniban has also started to diversify into North Africa and the Middle East, markets that offer good prices and fewer regulatory requirements.
In terms of infrastructure, Laborde highlighted the upcoming entry into operation of Puerto Antioquia, in which Uniban is a shareholder. "The new port will transform the sector's logistics. It will be 300 kilometers closer to the producing areas and will help boost the competitiveness of bananas and other Colombian fruits," he said.
Among the challenges for the future, the president of Uniban mentioned generational succession in rural environments, as fewer and fewer young people are interested in agricultural work. The company is looking to attract them with training in technologies such as drones, precision farming, and satellite management.
© Uniban
"Through our value-added division, Turbana Foods, we are expanding our healthy snacks business," said Laborde. "We recently acquired the La Niña snack manufacturing plant in Pereira, which will allow us to increase our production capacity by 67% by 2025 and diversify our portfolio with innovations such as tocinetas, chicharrones, and banana cookies."
Lastly, he highlighted the expansion of its line of processed products, such as banana, cassava, and green banana chips, produced in two plants that export 98% of their production.
"We celebrated our 60th anniversary in January and remain committed to the development of Urabá. What used to be a jungle is now a connected, productive region with a future," said Laborde.
For more information:
Manuel Laborde
Uniban
Colombia
Tel.: +57 301 518 5355
[email protected]
www.uniban.com
