In the first quarter of this year, this fruit was placed in the international market with a value of more than $202 million. This means it had an increase of 18% over the same period of last year.
Never before had pineapple growers sold so much in such little time, according to statistics from the Pineapple National Chamber of Exporters (Canapep).
The fact that pineapples have stopped being a luxury fruit in Europe, and that the export market has expanded to countries like Russia and Turkey, explains the boom. Pineapple expectations are good for the rest of the year and could achieve record figures in exports, which will allow Costa Rica to remain as the number one pineapple seller, worldwide.
Last year the sales reached $530 million, while in this first quarter it nearly reached 50% of that figure.
"As an organisation, we have to recognize that we have been caught off guard by these export volumes in the first months. The trend was clear since January," says Abel Chaves, president of Canapep.
52% of fresh pineapple exports are directed to the Europe, the rest is distributed to the United States and Canada. The pineapple sector generates around 27,000 direct jobs, thanks to the thousand of cultivated acres that are mainly in the Northern Zone and Atlantic Region.
Meanwhile, conservationists and representatives of various fractions question pineapple growers for alleged affectations to the environment and labour rights workers. For Chavez, internal difficulties could affect the industry, so that other countries like Mexico, Panama and Colombia, could oust Costa Rica from the position as the world's leading exporter.
"There used to at least 45,000 cultivated hectares, whereas now, we do not go over 40,000. However, now they have improved production levels in the areas sown," indicated Chaves who denied the criticism of pineapple opponents.
By: Esteban Arrieta
Larepublica.net