Growers “overwhelmed” at having to shoulder increased production costs as exports stall
The Honduran banana industry is struggling to recover following the two back-to-back hurricanes that devastated production in November 2020.
According to Sandra Deras, president of the Honduran Banana Producers and Exporters Association, production and exports had remained virtually stagnant since Hurricanes Eta and Iota, which damaged more than 2,800ha of farms, equivalent to 82 per cent of the country’s total acreage.
She said acreage has failed to recover to pre-hurricane levels, while producers face an increasingly difficult landscape due to rising production costs.
This year’s exports are expected to close the year at around US$20mn – a figure similar to last year – suggesting that growth is flatlining.
Deras said growers were facing a 300 per cent increase in fertiliser prices, while costs for electricity, plastics, and other materials essential for maintaining production have also risen. At the same time, incomes have stalled, leaving producers “overwhelmed” at having to shoulder higher production costs.
This economic pressure, she warned, is leading some producers to give up on waiting for public sector support.
It is reported that a growing number of growers are opting to sell their farms rather than wait for government help. While the state has expressed a willingness to help, no concrete solutions have materialised to date. “The more time passes, the more complicated it becomes for producers,” Deras said, adding that the lack of concrete measures continues to jeopardise the viability of producers and the recovery of a sector still facing severe economic pressures.
