The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) had until this Tuesday to determine the price of a box of bananas for export that will be valid in 2024, after producers and exporters failed to reach agreements at two meetings of the Banana Advisory Council. But a few hours before the government portfolio made its decision, the sector was in its last meeting this Monday, October 30, where they hoped to reach a consensus, but it did not happen.

The executive director of the Association for the Marketing and Export of Bananas (Acorbanec), Richard Salazar, reported in the late afternoon that the export sector has given in to his proposal, which is to maintain the current price of $6.50 and raise it to $6. 85 until 2024, but the producers did not accept that value. Now the decision is again in the hands of the Ministry of Agriculture, which will have seven days to make it.

No agreement, second meeting of producers and exporters to determine the price of bananas for 2024 ended, MAG has 7 days to announce the new value

Last year, both sectors agreed that the price of fruit would be $6.50, but since then disagreements have prevailed as most producers preferred to sell fruit at a lower price. place (market price and without contract), then signing contracts with exporters.

Until last October, according to figures from the Regional Corporation of Ecuadorian Banana Growers (Agroban), the price place It averaged $6.96 per case, but there were months where the price skyrocketed and reached above $11 as in week 40, while the lowest price was $3.30 in week 18. Meanwhile, in this week, week 43, the price place The average was $7.08, the figure that the union recalled on social media in the afternoon of October 30, trying to come to an agreement.

Banana exports increased by 6.41% from January to September, the European Union was the destination that grew the most with 20% more fruit

Positions and negotiations

At the first two meetings of the Advisory Council, on October 17 and 24, exporters and producers came up with different proposals that did not change significantly from the first to the second meeting. The exporters came to the second meeting with the same attitude as at the previous one, namely that a box of bananas should remain at $6.50, which is the current price for 2023, while the producers gave up their claims on their proposal. boxes of fruit at $8.01 and dropped it to $7.50. In addition, there was an intermediate proposal of $7.25, presented by Agroban.