Volcanic eruption on La Palma
- Published by Market News Service of CIRAD
- Free
Canaries platano set for a considerable reduction
Informations
- Product(s) : Banana
- Rubrique / Thématique : Direct from the markets
- Country : Spain
- Keywords : Production
The Cumbre Vieja volcano, situated on the island of La Palma in the Canaries, started erupting on Sunday 19 September, causing major damage to the agricultural sector. More than 1 200 hectares of Canaries platano have reportedly been hit by volcanic ash deposits, and lava flow is preventing access to plantations for maintenance and harvesting. However, at this stage it is very difficult to estimate production losses, given the ongoing eruption. The number two platano producing island after Tenerife, La Palma makes up 35 % of the archipelago’s production, hitting 149 000 tonnes in 2020 (143 000 t of which sold within the Spanish Peninsula).
With a volume of 380 000 tonnes sold within the Spanish Peninsula in 2020, the Canaries platano occupies a 60 % market share, with the remaining 40 % comprising bananas imported from Latin America, the Caribbean and ACP origins. Three-quarters of production are concentrated on the western islands (La Palma and Tenerife). As regards the eastern islands, platano cultivation is holding up on Gran Canaria (21 %), but has disappeared on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. The rest comprises limited top-up volumes from La Gomera (1.2 %) and El Hierro (less than 1 %).
