The electoral victory of Daniel Nobo Azín is already causing reactions in certain production sectors. It is about the case of a banana plantation, of which the candidate of the Alliance of National Democratic Action (ADN) is a part. The sector, which for the last year has been immersed in fights between producers and exporters over the signing of contracts and whether the price of a box of bananas will be respected or not, is already expressing its expectations for this new government for a year and a half. half.

The executive director of the Association of Traders and Exporters of Bananas of Ecuador (Acorbanec), Richard Salazar, believes that the fact that the new president of the Republic is connected to the banana business will help the sector a lot, because “he knows as much about internal problems as he does about external ones.”

Banana price in 2024: producers ask for an increase to $8 a box, and exporters to stay at $6.50

Noboa is the eldest son of businessman Álvaro Noboa Pontón, one of the largest exporters of Ecuadorian bananas to the world; and the grandson of Luis Noboa Naranjo (+), the country’s largest banana exporter at the time.

Salazar predicts that the export sector will provide the new president with all the necessary inputs to introduce all the necessary changes in the sector to improve competitiveness. However, it indicates that in this short period – 18 months of the mandate – the sector strives to improve security. “If we don’t have security, we can’t carry out our activities normally, and that’s the main point for us,” says head Akorbanec.

Exporters are seeking the continuation of trade agreements and a reduction in pressure on their sector

For his part, José Antonio Hidalgo, executive director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (Aebe), assures that the sector will maintain the program it has implemented to improve production and competitiveness of the sector, regardless of whether the president comes from the banana sector.

“We will have to develop it with the newly elected president, with his next ministers, precisely so that we can present and continue the program we have as a sector,” says the manager.

He adds that one of the positive issues left by the current government are trade agreements and that the government of Daniel Nobo Azín should give continuity to these agreements; But he also says that we must work to reduce pressure on the productive sectors and agrees with Salazar that the emphasis should be on improving security.

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“We need a military presence in the ports and create a project of safe routes for the logistics chain, as well as a military presence in rural areas, which we have already shared with different authorities. We need to strengthen the country’s security, especially in the productive areas,” says Hidalgo.

The producer’s request is to respect the laws and the agricultural program

Meanwhile, from the production sector, Franklin Torres, president of the Federation of Banana Growers of Ecuador (Fenabe), indicates that the expectations of the sector are focused on compliance with laws and regulations, and to present an agricultural program that enables the development of rurality, “which has been so attacked during this last four years”.

Bananas started the second half of 2023 on the right foot, but exports still do not cover autumn 2022.

“Unfortunately (in these last four years), poverty has prevailed in the agricultural sector, which is the poorest, and reactivation is necessary as soon as possible, because 50% of Ecuador’s population is economically dependent on it,” says Torres.

As for Nobo Azín’s export origins, Torres points out that “the president is the president of all Ecuadorians, not just the export sector.” He explains that the deficiencies within the manufacturing sector are very serious and, if not addressed as soon as possible, could become even worse than what they currently have. “We hope that this will be taken into account (…), that they will present an agricultural program in accordance with reality, in accordance with the agricultural sector and that agriculture will take off in the country once and for all,” repeats the owner of Fenabe.

Markets for Ecuadorian bananas

In the first half of 2023, the country sold 190 million boxes of bananas to all its destinations, 5.42% more than what was sent in the same period of the previous year when 180.2 million boxes were exported, according to the latest data from Bananas. Marketing and Export Association of Ecuador (Acorbanec).

This year, as a bloc, the European Union (EU) has established itself as the number one destination for Ecuadorian bananas, receiving 30.20% of total fruit exports. However, when exports are classified by country, Russia is the destination for the most bananas, with a share of 21.18%; in second place is the United States of America with 9.55%; in third place is the Netherlands with 7.35%; in fourth place is Turkey with 5.34%, and in fifth place is Germany with 4.39%.

This is the participation of other destinations, by blocks: