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Ecuador banana workers warn against German Aldi’s plan to lower the fruit’s box value
Posted On 24 Oct 2018
Ecuadornews:
Ecuador, the world’s largest banana exporter, is pushing for Latin America to act in a common block against the plan of the German supermarket chain Aldi to pay one euro less for the fruit box.
“We have to structure an external front with all the producing countries of the region to prevent Aldi from making this inequality,” Eduardo Ledesma, director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (Aebe), told AFP on Tuesday.
He pointed out that Aldi intends to apply the “unilateral and inequitable” decision to pay one euro less per box of Latin American bananas in 2019, which would even be a “para-tariff” measure within the European Union (EU).
“In no case can this reduction of one euro per box be allowed because it will affect the entire banana chain,” Ledesma added.
Banana countries in Latin America, such as Colombia and Costa Rica, will discuss the issue with representatives of stores in Europe and the United States, on Wednesday in the framework of an annual international forum on the sector, in Guayaquil, the representative said.
“We must draw up regional strategies,” said the Ecuadorian leader, adding that Latin America controls 75% of the world’s export of fruit.
He argued that in the free market “you can do what you want, but that power to do what you want has a limit, and you have to claim.”
Ecuador, the world’s leading banana exporter, aims to close 2018 with the sale of 330 million boxes (43 pounds) after placing some 265 million boxes until October.
Its biggest markets are the EU, especially Germany and Russia, according to the Aebe. (I)
