Didier Guillaume, Minister of Agriculture, supports the demand from the banana producers of Guadeloupe to increase the quotas allowing them to benefit from European aid.
LREM Senator Dominique Théophile and LREM Deputy Olivier Serva had requested, in a common letter, that the production quota of bananas from Guadeloupe imposed by the EU to qualify for European aid, be increased to 100,000 tons instead of the current 77,000 tons.
In a meeting, the Minister assured them of his support. In fact, the EU’s financial assistance to banana producers of Guadeloupe had been reduced in 2007, after the weather conditions had “made the production drop in the territory.” Since then, there is still a considerable gap with Martinique (241,000 tons) although the conditions have changed a lot. “The sector has been restructured and it is now producing quality bananas in quantities larger than this quota,” explains the Senator. The banana sector is the largest private employer in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Source: francetvinfo.fr