GUATEMALA dislodged the Philippines as the world’s second-biggest exporter of bananas previous 12 months, ending the Asian country’s 4-year reign as it struggled to keep its share in critical marketplaces amid stiffer competitiveness from Latin American producers.
The United Nations’ Food stuff and Agriculture Organization (FAO) believed that Guatemala exported a overall of 2.467 million metric tons (MMT) of bananas final year, surpassing the Philippines’s 2.235 MMT.
The FAO described that banana creation in the Philippines continued to tumble as growers struggled to deal with and control the “devastating” unfold of Banana Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 (TR4) disorder.
Moreover, FAO pointed out that Filipino banana growers endured a double whammy due to the fact they also reeled from “high prices of inputs and fertilizers” last yr.
“Both developments are reportedly obtaining a specifically harmful impact on compact-scale banana producers in the Philippines, who are having difficulties to procure the needed agricultural inputs to satisfy the quality needs of export markets,” the intercontinental company mentioned in its preliminary world wide banana marketplace evaluate report revealed a short while ago.
“Based on offered data and info, banana shipments from the Philippines are approximated to fall by some 6 % more than the whole 12 months, to [2.235] million tonnes,” it additional. The Philippines exported 2.383 MMT of bananas in 2021, in accordance to the FAO.
The complete approximated banana shipments by the Philippines in 2022 was the most affordable in 6 several years or due to the fact 2017 when it exported 2.725 MMT, primarily based on FAO information.
The Philippines reclaimed its place as the next-most significant exporter of bananas in 2018 right after shipping a whole of 3.125 MMT, according to the FAO.
The FAO noted that the Philippines has dropped sizeable market share in its crucial locations such as China. The FAO pointed out that from a sector share of as considerably as 75 p.c, the Philippines now accounts for just 38 percent of the complete bananas imported by China.
“Imports of Filipino bananas, meanwhile, dropped by a reported 8 p.c in excess of this period thanks to the continuing output complications experienced in the Philippines,” it stated.
Aside from getting overtaken by Guatemala, the Philippines might additional slip in the international rankings simply because of the expanding exports of other Central American banana producers, the FAO report also confirmed.
Previous year, the FAO believed that Colombia, the fourth-largest exporter, shipped an approximated total of 2.125 MMT of bananas, just 100,000 MT lower than the Philippines’s.
Colombia’s complete banana exports have constantly risen in the earlier 5 a long time as it appreciated reduced tariffs imposed by its lover international locations.
Costa Rica, estimated to have ranked fifth last calendar year, exported 2.122 MMT of bananas, just some 113,000 MT away from matching the Philippines’s whole shipments.
The Philippines is also now experiencing potent level of competition from neighboring Asian nations these kinds of as VietNam and Cambodia, which have been intense in growing their banana generation. (Related tale:
The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Affiliation earlier advised the BusinessMirror that the Philippines is not just losing marketplace share in vital banana marketplaces to Latin American and Asian producers, but investments as nicely. (Associated story:
FAO spelled out that its comprehensive-calendar year estimates of the world wide banana industry last 12 months had been centered on the responses of the place to its questionnaire as perfectly as most current facts available right up until the finish of Oct last 12 months.
Impression credits: Ceazar Perante