Initial evaluation of the EU27+UK banana supply for 2021: a slight market contraction

The time has come for the annual review of European banana consumption. Cirad’s initial estimates point to a 1% contraction on the 28-strong market (EU27+UK) in 2021, dropping to a little under 6.7 million tonnes. Fortunes were mixed between the origins. The dollar suppliers were down 2 % overall. In this group, only Ecuador registered positive figures (+ 3%). All the other origins (Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala) were down. Guatemala, as well as Honduras, scaled back its supply due to the damage caused by the two cyclones in late 2020. Under these conditions, the other origins switched more of their volumes to the USA. We can note the confirmation of a structural paucity in the Peruvian supply, which saw another fall this year. Regarding the ACP suppliers, there was a more positive feeling, with volumes on the upturn: + 3 % to 1 077 000 tonnes. The Dominican Republic saw its supply stabilise at around 355 000 tonnes, while all the other major origins rose. Finally, it was also a favourable year for European production. The supply (provisional data to be confirmed) reached around 645 000 tonnes, i.e. a 1 % rise. While the Canaries supply slumped – albeit, at high levels (an estimated 415 000 tonnes), it was the French West Indies (203 000 tonnes) which drove the upward trend, with Guadeloupe rising by 14 % and Martinique by 8 %.

In 2021, the estimated market share saw increases for ACP and European production, which climbed to 16.1 % and 9.7 % respectively. The dollar group went down to 74.2 %. On these estimated bases, still to be confirmed, consumption per capita in the EU remained practically unchanged at 13 kg/year.

banana - EU - supply 2021

banana - EU - supply 2021