In the Middle East, demand for banana is on the rise. Annual banana imports have almost tripled in the last decade, growing by around 16 per cent a year between 2001 and 2007, from 257.000 tonnes to 737.000 tonnes, according to Corbana (Banana Corporation of Costa Rica) data.

Together with the fact that consumption per capita still remains well below the average of mature markets like Europe and the US, "this suggests significant potential for further growth over the next decade".

Costa Rica is the world's third largest banana producer after Ecuador and the Philippines. Its export share in the Middle East is relatively small at 4.5 per cent of production, compared with 49.9 per cent shipped to Europe and 45.6 per cent shipped to the US. In the medium term, Sauma targets an export share in the Middle East of "nine to ten per cent".

Source: gulfnews.com

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