2020 African banana review: downturn in exports to the EC market.

2020 African banana review: downturn in exports to the EC market. 

The combined supply to the EU-28 in 2020 from the three main African origins, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon, was down by 3 %, dropping below the 600 000-tonnes mark. While Côte d’Ivoire, the main African supplier, had exhibited an uninterrupted growth dynamic for the past 3 years due to its expanding surface areas, it came to a standstill in 2020, with its supply 3 % below the historic peak from 2019. Similarly, Cameroon and Ghana were down by 4 % and 9 % respectively. This fall can be explained by limited volumes at the beginning of the year, following unfavourable weather for production, as well as cultivation difficulties, especially in Ghana. In addition, Cameroon’s return to production remained very limited, with most of the CDC surface areas still not restored following the political crisis in 2018. Finally, the Covid crisis appears to have deprived small bananas of their main outlet, namely the mass catering sector. Hence some of the supply was deliberately not shipped to the EU. It has to be recognised that while local Ivorian consumption remains marginal, the sector’s structure is gradually coming together, with in particular ripening centres being set up. We can observe that exports are on the up to markets in the African sub-region, which are becoming alternative outlets to the EU, in particular during periods of crisis. We can note the example of Côte d’Ivoire, which is shipping an increasing proportion of its volumes to neighbouring countries (Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso). In 2019, this share represented 16 %, i.e. double the volumes in the space of 5 years.

Source: Cirad