According to the Ministry of Economy, the Mexican production of bananas has only increased about 6 percent in the last decade while exports of banana have increased by 770.7 percent.
According to the agency, in 2003, Mexico exported 41,553 tons of bananas and in 2013 the country exported 361,822 tons.
Exports grew especially after 2009, when they amounted to 161,027 tons, boosted by the return of Chiquita Brands to the country, according to producers.
"Chiquita was in Mexico from the 90s to 2000 and then returned in 2009. That's when exports, mainly from Chiapas, increased dramatically," said Rafael Hernández, director of Grupo Santa Cruz.
Currently, he said, most of the producers and exporters of Chiapas sell their products directly to Chiquita, the leading distributor of bananas in the world.
"Exports have easily quintupled in that period, and I believe that 90 percent of the producers sell their products to Chiquita, which has been very favourable because, while it is virtually a monopoly, it is a company that guarantees it will buy the producers' products through contract farming, "he said.
According to figures from the SIAP, Mexico's produces more than 2,200,000 tons of bananas a year, of which it exports over 360,000.
Source: AM