According to secex (Secretariat of Foreign Trade), Brazilian shipments of bananas to Mercosur countries totaled 39,000 tons in the first half (January to June), an amount 31% higher than in the same period last year. When considering the countries in isolation, Argentina was the main buyer of the national fruit, increasing the volume by 56% in the same comparison. This scenario was favored by some problems in the production of Bolivia and Paraguay, competitors of Brazil in this market.
By contrast, banana shipments to the European Union (EU) fell by 7% in the first half (January to June), totaling about 13,000 tons, according to Secex. This drop, according to employees of Hortifruti/Cepea, may be related to the greater caution of the European buyer generated by the pandemic – there was even a reduction in the volume of new international contracts, due to the restrictions of the flow of people and the operation of establishments in the block.
SECOND HALF – Brazilian banana exports to Mercosur may be impacted by low national supply in the second half of the year. This is because the production of the North of Santa Catarina, the main exporter to the block, was strongly hit by an extratropical cyclone, making areas unfeasible. In addition, large production is not expected in the Ribeira Valley (SP), also due to the unfavorable climate to production this year.
Source: Cepea/Hortifruti
