Ecuador bananas

Ecuador's banana export industry has enjoyed a profitable first half of the year in 2010, with sales value climbing on the previous campaign.

According to figures from the Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE), banana export sales value climbed to US$1.1bn (€842m) through the first six months of the year, up from the US$976m (€747m) recorded in 2009, expreso.ec reported.

This represented a significant chunk of the country's overall first-half exports, which came to US$8.4bn (€6.4bn) in value, the BCE noted.

Of the 161m cartons exported between January and June, Ubesa (Dole), Bananera Continental and Brundicorpi exported some 50m cartons between them, followed on the list by Reybanpac and Bonanza Fruit with 10m and 9m boxes sold respectively.

Other leading exporters during the first six months were Cipal, Oro Banana, Serecban, Banana Exchange, Isbelni, Probana Export, Forzafrut, Nelfrance, Yudafin and Tecniagrex, BCE said.