Banana

Authorities in the UK have successfully dismantled a drug smuggling operation that concealed £10 million worth of cocaine within banana boxes. The illicit cargo, originating from the Dominican Republic, was intercepted in two separate shipments at Portsmouth International Port on January 20 and 26. read more

The African Fruit Company (AFC), based in Hamburg, has announced the formation of a subsidiary. "With the establishment of the 'South American Fruit Company (SFC)', we are expanding and optimizing our offerings for our customers along the supply chain," says Stefan Heine, one of the two managing
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Banana peels are gaining popularity as a natural teeth whitening solution. The idea is that nutrients like potassium and magnesium in the peels can help remove stains and whiten teeth. However, the potassium content in banana peels is quite low, and there's limited scientific evidence supporting
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Agritech firm Innoterra says it has identified a new variety of banana that is resistant to both TR4, a disease that has devastated significant areas of production worldwide in the past few years. read more

It’s one year since they started with bananas, and now in this special episode of Fruitbox, Franka Rodriguez and Michael Fellner of the Aldi South Group talk to Chris White about how Aldi South is making some big changes to how they’re procuring pineapples. And they reveal
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An invasive parasite is hampering banana exports from the Dominican Republic. The banana rust mite, (Eriophyidae), which was observed for the first time in the Caribbean in 2020, causes brown stripes to appear on leaves and lesions on the skin of the fruit. read more

The Korean Senior Citizens Association of Cambodia (KSCAC) and its South Korean partners are eyeing investment opportunities in seven Cambodian agricultural products for export to Korea and China. read more

Once considered one of the safest countries in South America, Ecuador has descended into drug gang violence in the past few years. And unfortunately for the banana sector, exporters of the fruit find themselves at the frontline of the country’s battle with the narcos. read more

In more ways than one, the Ecuadorean banana industry now finds itself at a crossroads. On the one hand, this is a time of great promise: 36-year-old Daniel Noboa, the son and heir of banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, was recently elected president, raising hopes the government will prioritise the
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In 2023, Brazilian banana exports experienced a significant decline in both volume and revenue compared to the previous year. The total volume exported was 56.2 thousand tonnes, representing a 48% decrease, while earnings amounted to US$ 56.2 million (FOB), marking a 50% decline. read more

Cambodia's banana industry is grappling with the persistent threat of Fusarium fungus, despite efforts to mitigate its spread. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries reveals a 21% decline in banana exports in 2023, amounting to around 290,000 tons. The El Niño phenomenon has been
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Gone definitively are the days when the banana multinationals were perceived as either exploiters, colonisers or power brokers behind corrupt regimes. The US banana multinationals, not long ago the scourge of fairtrade NGOs, have all invested heavily in first securing and then publicising the
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INI Farms, part of the AgroStar group, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LuLu Group International, establishing a direct farm-to-retail partnership for the Indian Cavendish bananas. read more

The fruit sub-sector in Kenya plays a critical role in the country's agriculture and economy. The tropical climate is ideal for fruit cultivation, which is popular domestically and internationally. However, the sub-sector faces hurdles such as quality control, infrastructure, market
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By November 2023, Peru had exported 10,164 tons of bananas, generating revenues of $7.9 million. The export volume decreased by 7%, but the value increased by 3%. This improvement in value was attributed in part to a 10% increase in the average price, which reached $0.77 per kilogram, according
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In a recent development for the Indian F&V/horticulture sector, INI Farms, part of the AgroStar group, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LuLu Group International, to build a direct farm-to-retail partnership for the Indian Cavendish Bananas. read more

It’s been a strange start to 2024 for bananas. “Globally, at least in the Americas, there’s less supply of bananas overall,” says Andy Thomas-Stivalet of Kadivac Produce, adding that it’s a combination of a few factors. read more

The year 2023 ended with a breakeven in volume sales for the fruit and vegetable department, even though the two half-year trends have opposite signs but with an ever-increasing inflationary effect. read more

Ecuador exported exported 15.32 million more boxes of bananas during 2023 compared to 2022. That is an increase of 4.52%, with a total of accumulated exports of 354.63 million boxes up to the month of December 2023 compared to exports of 339.31 million for 2022. read more

"One could say that the evolution of the national banana sector has marked the path that the global banana industry follows. Thus, we can consider ourselves pioneers in certain markets that began being marginal and that now constitute strategic markets for the banana sector, such as Russia, to
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