Ecuador exported 253 million boxes of bananas 2013

Freshplaza.com reported that Ecuador exported 253 million boxes of bananas, 5 million more than in 2012. This amount, however, didn’t meet the producers’ expectations, as they thought there would be a higher increase in sales during 2013.

Last year’s banana exports are still lower than the peak reached in 2011, when exports amounted to 285 million boxes.

According to Eduardo Ledesma, the sector’s executive director, the country exports 5.1 million boxes of bananas per week, but projections are not encouraging after the high season (February, March and April).

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Ledesma admitted that they had lost presence in Europe because their competitors, Colombia, Peru and Central America, have higher tariff preferences due to the trade agreements they have with the European Union. Read Article