Keen demand for bananas is keeping wholesale market prices strong. This week, 18kg boxes of the fruit were making £20 at markets up and down the country.
Robert Wells, managing director of banana importer Pratts, said: “Spot prices are fairly high. This could be a carry-over from the effects of the [two-week banana workers’] strike in Colombia in May. But in general, these days, because of the currency markets and the economic situation, businesses are having to be quite cautious and are only buying what they need.”
The outlook is unlikely to change soon as inclement weather in Ecuador could have an impact on shipments from the country over the next two to three weeks.
But Wells believes that a change in Tesco fixtures is having a positive effect. He said: “Tesco has relaunched its displays in store and moved away from shelf-ready packs and merchandisable units to a hammock-style unit, where fruit is decanted back onto the shelf. The idea is to reduce wastage and improve display.”
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