Central American banana: impacts of two successive cyclones, ETA and IOTA.

IOTA, the 30^th North Atlantic hurricane, marked a particularly active cyclone season this year. In week 47, i.e. two weeks after Cyclone ETA, Central America was struck by hurricane IOTA too. This time, the depression arrived via northern Nicaragua, crossing the whole of Honduras before heading off via El Salvador. Besides the disastrous consequences for the local populations, there was major direct damage to banana production, concentrated mainly in Honduras and Guatemala, major suppliers to the US market. While production was spared in certain zones, the logistics were left heavily disrupted. Many roads were damaged, such as the one leading to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala’s main export port. Now is the time for rebuilding, to regularise loading as quickly as possible. The consequences on the banana planted area in this part of the world are still hard to assess. However, according to the latest information, the transit of ETA and IOTA destroyed approximately 10 000 ha of banana plantations in Central America, representing production losses of 500 000 boxes per week, primarily aimed at the US market.