Discontent for the value of export bananas

Ecuadornews:

The Ministry of Agriculture ordered the payment of $ 6.30 for the fruit box. 

The producers asked $ 7.05 and the exporters to keep the price of $ 6.20. The ministerial agreement 135, which set the price of $ 6.30 for the export banana box next year, will allow the control of “administrative and valuation expenses not authorized by the producer and not established in the Law for Stimulate and Control the Production and Marketing of Fruit “, in force since 2004 and its reform in 2010.

The new value does not meet the aspirations of producer organizations that requested a price of $ 7.05; while the exporters demanded to maintain the current cost this year that is located at $ 6.20. 

Eduardo Ledesma, director of the Association of Exporters of Bananas of Ecuador (AEBE), publicly was resigned to the government decision that did not take into account the high production costs and orders for price decreases by buyers abroad.

The banana trade union leader gave as an example the pressure that is being made by the Aldi supermarket chain in Germany and the most important in Europe so that the prices of the banana box fall to 0.60 euros. 

Faced with this reality, Ledesma proposed the creation of a regional block of producers. The idea was born during the XV International Banana Forum held in Guayaquil last week. “We only have to manage the current scenario,” said the leader. 

Between January and August of 2018, the country exported $ 2,129,000,000 to the markets of the United States and Europe. 

The government’s measure did not satisfy the marketers of the fruit, who described the decision of the Minister of Agriculture, Xavier Lazo, as a policy and not a technique, even though he is a producer. 

Richard Salazar, administrator of the Banana Marketing Association (Acorbanec), regretted that the Minister did not take into account the recommendations of Pro Ecuador to maintain the price of $ 6.20 a box. 

The ministerial agreement also establishes the minimum reference FOB export prices for the different types of banana and other Musa. The $ 6.30 is for the box type of 41.5-43 pounds, which corresponds to the 22XU box, equivalent to $ 0.1518 per pound. Meanwhile, the reference FOB value to be declared by banana exporters is $ 8,1353. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/4/descontento-valor-banano-exportacion