Banana exports concluded in 2023 with a growth of 4.52% compared to that recorded in 2022, according to data from the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE). Data collected by the Union Banana Statistical Observatory shows that accumulated exports last year amounted to 354.63 million boxes of bananas, 15.32 million boxes more than that registered in 2022, which was 339.31 million boxes.

This confirms the recovery of the sector, which closed 2022 with losses of between 5% and 8% in export volume and around USD 258 million in foreign currency, according to data from the export sector.

Spot price of bananas: “We cannot prevent the release of our products when there is demand, because that would be worse”

Meanwhile, the AEBE report shows that of those 354.63 million boxes of bananas exported in 2023, the European Union accounted for 28.42% of global exports, positioning itself as the main export destination for Ecuadorian fruit. In 2023, a total of 100.77 million boxes were delivered, unlike in 2022, exports amounted to 87.93 million boxes, which represents an increase of 14.61% according to that destination.

At the country level, the main export destination of Ecuador to the European Union was the Netherlands with a share of 24.75% of the total accumulated exports in 2023, which is a growth of 6.73% compared to the same period in 2022. The second country with the highest share has Germany with a rate of 14.36% of total exports with a growth rate of 25.39% compared to 2022, followed by Italy with a share of 11.82% with a growth rate of 9.38% compared to the same period in 2022. years.

Russia, Eastern Europe, EFTA and the Middle East with discounts

Meanwhile, the second destination for banana exports was Russia with 21.12%, representing the shipment of 74.90 million boxes. By 2022, accumulated exports to the same destination reached about 76.94 million boxes, which represents a decrease of 2.66%, or a decrease of 2.05 million boxes.

At the regional level, the largest reductions in banana boxes are seen in Eastern Europe, EFTA Europe and the Middle East.

Eastern Europe reduced Ecuadorian banana imports by 28.26%, moving from imports of 7.29 million boxes in 2022 to 5.23 million boxes in 2023, or 2.06 million boxes not exported to this region. Likewise, EFTA Europe (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) reduced the level of Ecuadorian fruit imports by 12.08%, i.e. 0.21 million fewer boxes exported to this destination last year compared to 2022.

Bananas maintained their good results and in 11 months they increased in exports by 7%.

The Middle East is another region that saw a decrease of 7.19%, or 4.06 million boxes not delivered this year. The country in this region that bought the most fruit in December 2023 was Turkey with a share of 33.07%, followed by destinations such as Saudi Arabia (24.89%) and Iraq (17.06%), countries that are in second and third place. . “In general, during this period you can see a process of reduction of fruit exports in the Middle East market, due to the low annual growth rates of this period in 5 of the 10 countries that make up the region,” he analyzed. AEB.

Markets in Africa, Asia and the US grew in 2023

On the other hand, Africa reported an increase in the level of purchases of Ecuadorian bananas. In 2023, an additional 4.86 million boxes were exported to this region, reaching 20.69 million boxes this year. On the other hand, Asia bought 4.21 million additional boxes of Ecuadorian bananas compared to 2022.

The banana sector leaves 2022 behind with an estimated loss of $258 million

Meanwhile, in the United States, the region that imported the most fruit was the Pacific coast with a share of 60.48% in 2023, while the Atlantic coast covered 39.52% of banana boxes. In the case of the Atlantic coast, it was a growth rate of 8.24%, on the Pacific coast a growth of 2.37% was evident.