Canary Island bananas continue to lose market share in their main and almost sole market, the Spanish Peninsula and Balearic Islands at the expense of bananas from third countries.
According to the most recent customs data, total banana supply in the first quarter of 2017 reached 159,867 tonnes, 4,454 tonnes less than in the same period of last year, a percentage decrease of 2.7 per cent.
Sales of Canary Island bananas fell by 3 per cent in the same period, while banana imports from third countries increased by 11.8 per cent or 8,434 tonnes.
Sales of Canary Island bananas outside of Spain rose by 72.8 per cent. Almost all of the re-exported fruit went to Portugal as a result of low demand in the domestic market.
The data shows that the market share of non-Canaries bananas fluctuated between 36 a 50 per cent during the first three months of 2017. In the same period of 2016 the share was between 35 and 44 per cent, reflecting the continued erosion in the Islands’ market share.
