Colombia's banana industry produces fruit, mainly Cavendish,  52 weeks of the year. The industry sees two peaks for banana exports in that time: the first happening now, between April-May, and the second between September and October.

Dr. Emerson Aguirre Medina, president of the Association of Colombian Banana Growers (AUGURA), spoke with FreshFruitPortal.com about the sector's projections for 2024.

The sector estimates 5% growth in exports year on year, he said, with volumes exceeding 111 million boxes.

"Banana exports from Colombia totaled US$969 million in 2023, 9.2% more than the previous year, reaching approximately 106 million boxes, equivalent to more than 2 million tons of bananas, maintaining an average productivity of 2,023 boxes per hectare per year," Aguirre said.

The main producing areas in Colombia are the region of Urabá, in the department of Antioquia, with 60% of national production, and the departments of Magdalena, La Guajira and El Cesa on the country's Caribbean side, with the remaining 40%.

The AUGURA president said climate change and the El Niño phenomenon had a negative impact on exports in March. Crops were under stress at that time due to a lack of water. Temperature variations then led to heavy rains in April in the country's producing regions.

Colombia's export markets

The European Union is consolidating its position as the largest importer of Colombian bananas with 68% of total sales, followed by the United States with 16% and the United Kingdom with 15%.

"In the last three years, the price per box has not varied significantly. It has remained stable between US$8 and US$9 per box (FOB price). However, one of the major limitations seen is the non-recognition of inflation increases in the country or increases in inputs," Aguirre said.

"Likewise, the increase in labor costs in the framework of collective agreements between banana workers and employers signed this year, where, for the first year, an increase of 14% was agreed only in labor."

Today the sector's priority is to increase its participation in markets with high demands in terms of environmental, social, and labor sustainability. The Colombian industry is a leader in this area, he said, as a result of continuous work to strengthen productivity and recognition of the sector's economic importance, as well as social development in the country's producing regions.

Combating Fusarium TR4

Colombia has imported various plant materials since 2022 to study their behavior locally and resistance to diseases like Panama disease Tropical Race 4 or Fusarium wilt.

"The arrival of the Fusarium TR4  fungus in 2019 in Colombia meant a real phytosanitary alert, for which we had already been training since 2015," Aguirre said.

"Thanks to taking early action, we have managed to establish five inter-institutional agreements with the National Government, through the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), to work on the necessary biosecurity protocols, avoiding further dissemination and ensuring the protection of the 52,000 hectares cultivated in export-type bananas that exist in the country."

"We cannot let our guard down in the face of this challenge. Entering and leaving the farms clean is a priority."