The Costa Rican banana sector has recorded a decline in national export volume and value between January and March this year, according to a report by La Nación.
Sendings contracted by 8 per cent in volume to 15m (18.14kg) boxes during the first two months of 2011, compared with 16.4m boxes in the same period last year, Jorge Sauma, general manager of the National Banana Corportation (Corbana) said.
According to figures from Costa Rica’s Export Promotion Agency (Procomer), the country’s banana export value also fell by 11 per cent to US$109m, compared with US$123m in 2010, but up from US$96m in 2009.
The reduction in volume is a consequence of weather-related issues on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, where low temperatures affected yields, Mr Sauma explained.
Despite the dip, Corbana said it expects the crop to recover in the coming months.
Bananas represent Costa Rica’s largest agricultural export item.
Last year, shipments of the fruit generated US$702 in total, up 12 per cent from US$625 in 2009, the report said.
