According to press reports in Honduras, trade minister Oscar Kafati has become the latest to call for diversification of exports. The country has seen foreign exchange earnings plummet as coffee prices world-wide have taken a dive over the past year. And the outlook for bananas, another major forex earner in Honduras, has been pretty bleak too. With prices softening across the globe and a new EU banana import regime which does not allow unlimited access, growers of the fruit are also facing the prospect of diversification.

Kafati said the 'battle goes on' to ensure Honduras bananas get a fair price and fair conditions of access to the EU.

Meanwhile, melon, mango, grapefruit and watermelon all represent alternatives for hard currency earnings for the Central American nation, said the minister.

Previous reports in the national press in December 2001 quoted Honduras agricultural research institute FHIA suggesting apple production as a viable alternative for Honduran coffee growers.

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