Increase of 13.8% on non-oil exportations

In the first two months of the year, while oil exports fell 11.93% like last year’s same period, non-oil exports rose 13.85%, according to Central Bank figures.

This increase was primarily directed on the sales of traditional products such as bananas and plantains, shrimp, cocoa and processed derivatives, coffee and processed derivatives and non-traditional such as canned fish.

Traditional non-oil exports grew from being at $ 728.22 million to be settled at $ 826.28 million, ie the group of five products rose 13.5%, while non-traditional, representing 52.8%, increased 14.2% from 809.54 million to 924.56 million.

The sale of banana and plantain, products that represent 24.7% of non-oil exports, for example, rose 18.12%. For Eduardo Ledesma, president of the Association of Banana Exporters, the rise is recorded as it evidences the increase in the price of bananas and adds the plantain export, although the banana sector, in so far this year, has exported less.

Eduardo Ledesma

The only traditional item that reported a decrease was fish and tuna, which fell -16.6%. Last year, he says, also went through a similar situation. Now they are considering options because they “do not want to get their factories closed.“