Some of country’s banana plantations reportedly submerged for up to 36 hours in mid-August, adding to concerns over disease
Heavy rainfall, flooding, and rising disease pressure pose a serious threat to banana production in Costa Rica’s Caribbean growing regions, with potential consequences for export availability later in 2026, according to The Tico Times.
The newspaper reported that some plantations remained underwater for up to 36 hours, while others received as much as 280mm of rain in mid-August – more than a banana plantation would normally require in an entire month.
The impact on production is expected to become clearer in the coming months, while the country’s Instituto Meteorológico Nacional said it expected rainfall along the Caribbean coast to remain 10-15 per cent above normal for the rest of 2026.
Floodwater can spread Moko, a bacterial disease that causes plants to wilt and lose fruit, while a combination of higher temperatures and humidity favours black sigatoka, which damages leaves and can lead to premature ripening.
Erick Bolaños, director of technical assistance at banana industry body Corbana, told The Tico Times that producers were already seeing damage, although it remained too early to forecast a substantial fall in exports.
Costa Rican banana exports were around 5 per cent higher year on year in the first six months of the year, according to trade figures released by industry association Corbana.
Meanwhile, the Costa Rican foreign trade agency Procomer has worked with Corbana and Compañía Nacional de Banano (Cibsa) to develop new specialised talent and technological knowhow in the country’s banana sector.
This includes courses focused on the operation of agricultural drones, precision agriculture, geospatial analysis, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
“The competitiveness of the export sector increasingly depends on the country’s ability to develop specialized talent, prepared to incorporate technology, innovation, and sustainability into production processes,” said Laura López, general manager of Procomer.
“At Procomer, we promote these types of initiatives because they allow us to bring new skills to people linked to strategic sectors, generate employment opportunities, and strengthen Costa Rica’s capacity to respond to the demands of international markets.”
