In Tanzania, they ripen bananas in wicker baskets filled with straw and hay
In May, a Tanzanian fruit company asked Frits Popma of the Dutch company Popma Fruit Expertise to visit. They wanted him to identify the banana chain's strengths and weaknesses. This photo was

Coles awards sustainability grants
Coles has awarded Australian producers A$3.6m in grants from its Coles Nature Fund to drive innovation and sustainability. A number of fresh produce operations are among the eight recipients in

French will import 3 million bananas for the Olympics in 2024
The Olympics are coming to France in 2024. Many parties are already preparing to feed the Olympians. The Sodexo group will be in charge of the Olympic food in 2024. They’ve already got some

Fair Trade, bananas support fair consumption
With 13 million kilograms, bananas confirm their position as the best-selling Fair Trade product, although slightly down on the previous year (-3%), due to the general contraction in organic

ASPROCAN launches project for greater sustainability in Canary Islands banana supply
ASPROCAN, the Association of Canary Islands Banana Producers, has rolled out a new research project “Plátano de Canarias y los Retos 2030”, which aims to provide practical solutions to

“WeSpeakBananas comes from serving industry as producer and exporter for many years”
The importance of a proper sealant around the crown of bananas needs more attention, with tens of millions of boxes of this popular fruit exported around the world, says Luis Monge, Director of

Peruvian banana exports approaching 93,000 tons so far in 2023
This past week, Peruvian banana exports have fallen to the lowest level recorded not only this year, but also in 2022. According to data shared by the consultancy firm Fresh Fruit, "Peru exported

EU three-week average price of European bananas at €126 per 100 kgs in week 5
In week 21, average wholesale prices of bananas from Latin America were at €106/100 kgs in the Netherlands. Prices in Belgium stood at €96/100 kgs, while the Spanish paid €89/100 kgs and the

Biological control, 'lifeline' for bananas
"There are fewer and fewer active ingredients available and they are less and less effective". This phrase could be applied to practically any crop that comes to mind. But in this case, we are

Ecuador to formalise official living wage compliance certificate for banana sector
The Ecuadorian banana sector is taking one step forward towards formalising compliance with national living wage policy by requesting the Ecuadorian Ministry of Labour to issue an “official

Bananas from Ecuador at £0.96: no change from last week
This series gives the average wholesale prices of bananas by country of origin. The prices are national averages of the most usual prices charged for bananas at wholesale markets in Birmingham and

Greece: Police officials find €3.2 million worth of cocaine in banana containers
In northern Greece, police officers have seized dozens of packages of cocaine stashed in containers laden with bananas that had been shipped from Latin America. Police seized two suspect

Between €10-15 millions worth of cocaine found in banana shipment
In Široki Brijeg, a large amount of cocaine was found in boxes of bananas. These were sent to a company in the town of Trn, which deals with the import and export of fruits and vegetables. While

GWF announces new board members
International women’s networking platform Global Women Fresh (GWF) has named its new Board of Directors for 2023/24. The five directors are Jennie Coleman, president of Canadian Fairtrade banana

This week in Fruchthandel Magazine: European Sustainability Forum, Bananas - a commodity guide
Climate change is having a significant impact on global rainfall patterns. As the planet warms, the atmosphere can store more moisture, leading to more intense and frequent rainfall in some

Steady growth of Ecuador banana shipments
Ecuador continues to see stable growth in its banana exports. The volume of cumulative exports in April reached 133.1 million boxes, 4.6% higher than at the same point in 2022 (127.3 million

Interfel: "Life is better" campaign focuses on millennials
The European campaign was launched in May 2022 and is now entering its second of three years. Under the motto "Life is better", the interprofessional umbrella organisation Interfel, together with

Current average week prices of bananas from Belize at £0.95
This series gives the average wholesale prices of bananas by country of origin. The prices are national averages of the most usual prices charged for bananas at wholesale markets in Birmingham and

Global Nature Fund: Mainstreaming biodiversity in tropical supply chains is possible
For about four and a half years, experts from the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ, the Global Nature Fund (GNF) and the Lake Constance Foundation have been developing and

"We imminently expect an improvement in the Canary banana market"
The spring brings the beginning of some long-awaited Spanish fruit seasons, which have already started with some delay in each segment. "The start of the watermelon season has been marked by the

"Great potential for LNG and hydrogen trucks"
Consumption of overseas items, such as bananas, traditionally declines somewhat in the summer. "From February to May, we are usually at full capacity in this area, as a lot of fruit is consumed

Q-Cav4, Australia's first genetically modified banana
A Cavendish variety banana, genetically modified by Queensland University of Technology and highly resistant to Panama disease TR4, has been submitted for approval by the Australian government,

ASPROCAN promotes the project "Plátano de Canarias y los Retos 2030".
For this purpose, the project will focus on defining a specific biological control strategy for the pests that affect banana cultivation in the Canary Islands and test new tools for pest control

Is it time for a fresh look at bananas?
Bananas may be a shopping basket staple but they are not the most exciting item in the produce aisle. While the past few years have brought a wealth of new varieties and flavours in other

Ecuador sees 4.56% increase in banana exports during April 2023
During April 2023 consumers in world markets enjoyed about 5.81 million, that is an increase of 4,56%, more boxes of bananas from Ecuador compared to April last year (2022.) A total of 90.45