Colombian banana sector on the up

Improved productivity led to a new record for Colombian banana shipments last year, and the upward trend has continued for the first part of 2025, according to Emerson Aguirre, president of banana association Augura.

However, he warns that growing social unrest could derail the gains made over the past year unless a political solution is found and the trouble is quelled. Augura has called for calm after farmers blocked roads in the banana producing department of Magdalena last week as part of a nationwide strike aimed at forcing congress to approve a referendum to advance agrarian ana labour reform.

“The roadblocks have a major impact on bananas, as workers can’t reach the farms and the fruit can’t reach the ports, causing major disruption to shipping schedules,” Aguirre explains. “Around 100 containers a day were delayed last week but fortunately we haven’t lost any fruit. We urge the government to seek a solution to prevent further action by protestors that risks eroding the competitive gains the sector has made over the past year.”

And the figures for 2024 are indeed impressive. Banana exports reached a record 109mn boxes, exceeding US$1bn in revenue for the first time ever. According to Aguirre, this was mainly due to higher yields, which went from 2,000 boxes/ha to 2,500 boxes/ha. “This was partly due to improved climatic conditions – particularly in Urabá, where we saw good levels of rainfall – but also because producers had better tools at their disposal to enable them to make the right growing decisions,” he explains.

The wetter weather also brings challenges for growers, however. “La Niña is bringing higher-than-usual levels of rainfall, and the phenomenon is lasting much longer than it used to. That’s why we’ve launched a programme called Relimpia to clear drainage channels and dredge rivers to prevent farms and villages from being flooded,” says Aguirre. “The rainfall also brings higher incidence of Black Sigatoka, so we’re working hard to monitor the situation in order to keep the fungus under control.”

Efforts to monitor and control disease have ramped up considerably since the arrival of Fusarium wilt TR4 in the country in Augus 2019. Thanks to a cooperation and monitoring agreement between major banana association and Colombia’s Institute of Agriculture (ICA), the disease has been contained to a 300ha area in La Guajira and Magdalena.

Once TR4 is established in the soil, there are no effective treatments to eradicate it, so the main defence against its spread is through improved biosecurity measures. “To prevent the spread of the disease, it is vital that workers enter and leave the farm free of contamination, so washing and disinfection posts have been set up in key strategic areas across the main producing regions,” Aguirre explains.

Healthy soils can also potentially provide some resistance to pathogens, and Aguirre says a lot of work is going into improving soil health through the application of microorganisms.

The only long-term strategy to tackle the disease, however, is the development of new, resistant varieties. “We’re seeing some interesting plant material coming through, but to date no new variety has what it takes to replace Cavendish in terms of productivity, and market acceptance,” Aguirre says. “Nevertheless, we are confident that new gene editing technologies like CrispR will help deliver varieties that are resistant to TR4 and Black Sigatoka and other diseases, the impact of which is being exacerbated by climate change.”

Looking at the commercial landscape for the rest of 2025, Aguirre is keen to play down the impact of Trump’s tariff regime. Relations between the Trump administration and Colombian president Gustavo Petro have been strained since the start of this year following a spat over the repatriation of Colombian nationals deported from the US. But for now, at least, Colombia is subject to the same 10 per cent tariff as other Latin American producers supplying the US. “Colombia has a trade deficit with the US so from that perspective we’re in a good position,” Aguirre says.

Across the Atlantic, the fight to get European supermarkets to stop using bananas as loss leaders to attract customers to their stores and commit to paying a fair price for the fruit continues. Across the world, banana producers are paying a heavy price for the ever-increasing demands for fruit grown in an ethically and environmentally responsible way.

Aguirre points out that more than 92 per cent of Colombia’s banana workers are unionised and receive a living wage, alongside other benefits including support in education, housing, and other areas.

He says the long-term sustainability of the industry can only be achieved in two ways. “Firstly, the producer must be economically sustainable. Because if the producer isn’t sustainable, as we say in Colombia, no one is forced to plant bananas. And secondly, we need the backing of the supermarkets. If there are wage gaps, the supermarket should take responsibility for them – and not as a voluntary act of philanthropy, but rather as a real, long-term commitment. Bananas need to stop being the cheapest fruit in the store.”

He says progress is being made – albeit slowly. “More and more supermarkets are realising that, here in Colombia, workers are covered by collective bargaining and we comply with the living wage requirement, and this allows the supermarkets to comply with their due diligence requirements.

“But I think we’re on a very good path. Just this week I was sent pictures of Fairtrade bananas on sale in Germany for €1.69 per kilo. Let’s wait and see what the talks will bring next.”

Another positive development for the sector is the new Port of Antioquia, due to open at end of this year, which will be the most modern in the country and provide a significant boost to the banana industry. “Right now, we have a logistical restriction, namely that vessels can only load and unload in the sea. Once the new port is open and we have a land platform, we’ll have the capacity to accommodate larger vessels,” Aguirre explains.

This will not only significantly cut loading times but also improve security, as Antioquia will become the first port in Colombia using AI-powered scanners to scan every departing container.

Overall, Aguirre says there are many reasons for optimism. But the worsening political situation in the country is casting a shadow over the sector. This week alone, senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, a candidate for next year’s presidential elections, was the victim of an assassination attempt that left him in a critical condition, while a set of coordinated bombings and shootings in Cali left at least seven people dead.

Aguirre acknowledges that these are difficult moments for Colombia and says everything possible must be done to protect the economic advances the country has made in recent years.

“The banana sector is a force for good. We are regaining our competitiveness and productivity, and we’re having the right conversations around improving the price of our product. We urge the government to fulfil its obligations to the people so that we avoid being plunged into the chaos of the past,” he concludes.