Costa Rica consolidated its position as the world’s leading exporter of fresh pineapples during 2011, with export sales increasing by 8 per cent compared with the year before.
The Central American country sold pineapples worth an estimated US$743m during the year, up from US$687m in 2010, according to figures from Costa Rican national pineapple export chamber Canapep.
Thanks to strong demand in Costa Rica’s two key markets, the US and Europe, pineapples have developed to become the country’s second most important export crop, following only bananas.
Canapep estimates that there are currently 45,000ha of pineapple production in Costa Rica, grown by 50 medium and large sized producers and some 1,250 small growers.
