Philippine banana export volumes to China over for the first four months of 2017 were reportedly 33% lower year-on-year, according to local media Tempo.

The story said data from the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) showed volumes from January through April were 29,590 metric tons (MT), compared to 44,379MT last year.

The entity's executive director Stephen Antig reportedly said the decline was the result of an anticipated drop in production in the country due to a prolonged dry spell that hit last year.

China has therefore started sourcing bananas from other countries such as those in Latin America. He added it also imported bananas from Vietnam and Indonesia.

The data also showed China bought 107,489MT of Philippine bananas for the entire year of 2016, which was lower than the 155,914MT registered in 2015.

China is the country’s fourth-largest banana importer, with Japan being the biggest in 2016 with 550,079MT followed by the Middle East and South Korea.

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