Conference and expo to take place in El Oro’s capital city
Members of the international banana trade will gather in the city of Machala in Ecuador’s El Oro province next week for the inaugural edition of Banana Business, the international convention organised by the Banana Marketing and Export Association of Ecuador (Acorbanec).
The event, which takes place on 12-14 November, will feature a commercial expo, along with meetings between national and international companies and keynote speeches and panels on crucial topics for the banana industry. According to Acorbanec, it marks the first time that a trade fair and banana congress of such prominence will take place in the capital of El Oro.
According to Richard Salazar, Acorbanec’s executive director, Banana Business will “serve as a platform to promote strategic alliances, close deals and promote Ecuadorean bananas”.
Ricardo Umpierrez, president of Acorbanec, highlighted the importance of the event to demonstrate the compliance of Ecuadorean bananas with more than nine international certifications and promote the concept of shared responsibility with international buyers.
The event takes place against a background of slight recovery for the Ecuadorean banana sector. From January to September 2024, banana exports reached 274.39mn boxes, an increase of 0.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. The European Union remains the main destination, taking almost 30 per cent of total exports, followed by Russia with 18 per cent, the Middle East with 13.5 per cent and the US with 12 per cent.
Despite the climatic challenges reducing yields this year, export volumes have been sustained due to new plantings coming into production.
