Sandra Deras, a prominent Honduran banana producer, has expressed her concern about the country's banana production shortage, which limits Honduras's ability to take advantage of export opportunities to the Latin market in the United States. The Panama Canal's issues are hindering Ecuadorian banana exports. This presents a potential window of opportunity for Honduran bananas, she stated.
Despite the interest of American buyers in Honduran bananas, especially to satisfy the demand of the Latin market, Honduras doesn't have enough production to cover these needs. Deras estimates that Honduras has the potential to export more than 20 containers per week to this market segment in the US. However, production shortages represent a significant obstacle, resulting in lost opportunities for local producers.
The problems in the Panama Canal have affected the demand for bananas in the US market, leading to price increases. Despite the production shortages, producers continue to send considerable numbers of vans to the US. In addition, there is an untapped production capacity among Honduran producers that do not export yet, estimated at 5 to 10 vans, which suggests that Honduras has significant potential to increase its banana exports.
In addition, Deras has identified a new market opportunity for green bananas in the US, specifically targeting the Latino community. This opportunity highlights the need to increase Honduran banana production to meet existing demand and explore new market niches in the US.
Source: hondudiario.com