Bananas

Peruvian banana exports to the European Union increased by more than 20 per cent during 2009 compared with the year before, the vast majority of which were accounted for by organic fruit.

According to the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL), the Andean country exported an estimated €32.7m worth of bananas last year, some 85 per cent of which were organic bananas, the Andina news agency reported.

The Netherlands was the principal recipient of Peruvian bananas during the year, importing over 42,000 tonnes of fruit, worth €27.4m – an increase of almost 43 per cent compared with 2008.

The CCL said that the growth experienced over the last 12 months was in keeping with the steady increase in exports that the sector had achieved over recent years, which it said was due to the bananas’ quality and their differentiation as organic products.