China: Imports of baby bananas from Ecuador
"Ever since the 1990s when the bananas from Ecuador were allowed to be imported to China, the volume…"Ever since the 1990s when the bananas from Ecuador were allowed to be imported to China, the volume has been growing over the years. Among all the varieties, the Baby Bananas are the most popular ones for Chinese consumers because of the nice shape, pleasant sweetness, long shelf life and good quality," said Mr. Cui, manager of Xi'an Jinzhu Fruit Ltd.
"According to the latest data from the Trade Promotion Council, in 2015 the total export of Baby bananas in Ecuador was 1,687.58 tons, and the number doubled in 2016 and reached 3,240.57 tons. Till April this year, the export has reached 779.99 tons and the total export has shown a growing trend over the years, and the prices have been going up steadily."
"As a company focusing on fruit export and import, we are working closely with large, local suppliers of fresh fruits in Ecuador. After the Baby Bananas are purchased from reliable production areas, they are shipped to the harbors in Dalian and Shanghai, and from there they are sold in big supermarkets, fruit chain stores and on some e-commerce platforms in the area around Beijing. Our sales of the Baby Bananas in 2016 went up by 30% compared to 2015. For the first quarter of this year sales has been going steadily."
"The reason why we chose Ecuador was that it is the largest among the countries famous for the cultivation, production and export of bananas, and also the only country in the world where bananas are grown throughout the year, so that a stable supply is guaranteed by its larger total area of plantations and high yields. Also, the unique geographical location and climate of this country provides ideal conditions for the growing of bananas. Because of the importance of the banana export as one of the pillar industries here, the local government has provided policy support and legal protection for this industry. Lastly, huge plantations can to the largest extent guarantee the stability of the quality and supply of bananas and provide us with good service."