Guadeloupe bananas

After three months of inactivity, exports of bananas to the European Union from the French West Indian island of Guadeloupe are now set to resume, according to DOMactu.

Exports were halted in February when the eruption of Soufrière Hills volcano on the nearby island of Montserrat led to plantations on Guadeloupe being covered in ash, rendering the fruit inedible.

In total, nearly 200,000 tonnes of bananas were left unsold, with losses estimated at some €15m.

The return of Guadeloupe-grown bananas to the EU market comes earlier than anticipated, with many fearing that exports would not resume until the end of June.