Ecuador banana growers renew calls for intervention

With more than a quarter of Ecuador’s banana production going to Russia and Ukraine, the market disruptions have created a critical situation for the country’s growers and exporters. 

Fruit has had to be diverted to other destinations and transport prices have risen dramatically. Many shipping routes have been cancelled due to bottlenecks in Europe. Other shipping lines have started putting conditions and prices on shipping routes, making exports of the fruit impossible.

The exporters’ association has been seeking alternative outlets so that fruit which cannot be exported can be out to other uses, such as in local government food programmes.