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COSTA RICA |
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Costa Rican Pineapple About To Exceed
Earnings Of Banana
Pineapple could turn very quickly into the
main Costa Rican agricultural export,
exceeding revenues for bananas. This is
demonstrated by the figures for placements
abroad. Inter-annual data (for the last 12
months) in September indicate that the
banana income barely exceeded us$30 million
from that of the pineapple income.
In the period from October 2008 to September
2009, sales generated $604 million for
bananas and us$574 million for pineapples,
according to data released by the Foreign
Trade Promoter (Procomer).
A Procomer analysis that compared the sales
revenue from these fruits in the first nine
months of this year (January-September) puts
the foreign exchange creation of pineapple
above banana. The first produced us$436
million, while banana exports reached us$429
million in that period.
Causes: The situation is a combination of
factors.
One is the growing impact of weather on the
banana plantations which is affecting
production. In the Caribbean (where
virtually all the banaba farms are located),
there are increasingly more frequent periods
of flooding or periods of low rainfall.
Francisco Gamboa, director of business
intelligence for Procomer confirmed that
changes in export structure are due mainly
to climatic factors. "For banana crops and
coffee there is a registered reduction in
export volume of 22%, these are two clear
examples of how products this year have
faced adverse weather conditions,"
emphasized Gamboa.
The Inter-annual data states for example,
that in October 2008 banana generated us$681
million. Thereafter there was a tendency for
the revenue to fall, us$604 million to
September this year.
The other cause is a strong growth of the
pineapple industry.
In 2002, Costa Rica had 15,500 hectares
devoted to this activity and in 2007 they
were using 35,200 hectares according to the
Secretaría Ejecutiva de Planificación
Sectorial Agropecuaria (Sepsa), del
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG).
Currently the production area is 45,000
hectares, according to estimates by the
National Chamber of Producers and Exporters
of Pineapple (Canapep). 42,000 hectares is
devoted to bananas.
The expansion of pineapple has garnered
strong criticism from the local communities,
especially in the Caribbean, about
environmental pollution and water sources.
In addition, the National Animal Health
Service (SENASA) closed some of the farms
for mishandling of waste.
Christian Herrera and Bernardo Vargas,
executive vice president and executive
director respectively of Canapep, said the
good news of growth in income should be
taken "with a great responsibility."
The goal, they said, is to keep advancing,
but with responsibility from the production
in the field to the packing.
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