Other exotics - Q2 2018
- Published on 30/08/2018 - Published by GERBAUD Pierre
- Free
Quarterly market review
Plantain banana
Plantain banana prices saw a distinct increase from May due to a reduction in shipments, especially from Colombia, the main supplier to the market. Ecuadorian produce followed the same trend for smaller quantities. Rates dropped from mid-June with the return to a bigger supply against a backdrop of ebbing demand. In June, the supply was topped up by some air-freight batches from Martinique, marking this origin’s comeback from the ravages of recent cyclones which hit the Caribbean.
Chayote and christophine
Costa Rican Chayote rates were stable overall, despite some temporary fluctuations. They underwent a more perceptible dip in June due to lower demand. Christophine prices saw a more marked trend, with a steeper fall in May, partially offset in June. This downward trend can be explained in particular by lack of interest in the product, but also due to variable quality.
Dasheen
Rates for the Saint Vincent dasheen were fairly stable, with some fluctuations at the beginning of the period given the more restrained demand. In late June, they dipped again, as demand ebbed. Prices were unchanged for the small air-freight shipments from Martinique.
Chilli pepper
The surge in chilli pepper prices from mid-March continued until mid-April, when the supply expanded in particular with produce from the Dominican Republic. Peppers from Guadeloupe, which took advantage of the shortfall in the Dominican supply, saw their prices fall, albeit maintaining a higher level than the competition. Rates stabilised from May until the end of the period, with some fluctuations due more to the quality of the batches received than to the supply level. Top-up batches from Cuba and Morocco sold from May at price levels similar to those charged for the Dominican produce. In late June, some batches from Martinique traded at the same price as those from Guadeloupe.
