Canary Islands bananas could soon achieve Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status, which producers association Asprocan believes could further boost the sector’s chances of building a viable export business outside the Iberian peninsula.
In an interview with Eurofruit Magazine, Asprocan president Francisco Rodríguez said Canaries bananas were “very close” to achieving PGI certification that, when confirmed, may go some way towards giving credence to the group’s claims for the fruit.
“Bodies such as the University of Navarra and the University of Zaragoza have carried out studies of the properties of Canaries bananas and imported bananas, from which it was found that Canarias bananas have a sweeter taste and jucier flesh,” he said.
With the archipelago’s banana sector currently facing what Mr Rodríguez describes as “strong and unfair competition”, producers are now targeting export growth in areas of Europe outside Spain, particularly Germany.
“We have several projects directed at other markets, some of which are already at the testing stage, which are initially being concentrated on the German market,” he said.
For this purpose, Asprocan is planning to put together an export consortium focused on external markets that Mr Rodríguez said would allow producers to join forces with the aim of gaining access to areas that were not traditional sales avenues.
