The drop in international prices and the climate difficulties were the main reasons for the 5% reduction in the value exported from Costa Rica last year compared to 2018.
Data from the Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (Procomer) show that between 2018 and 2019, exports of the fruit decreased from $983 million to $930 million, which is equivalent to a negative variation of 5%.
At the beginning of 2019 there were 44,500 hectares dedicated to fruit cultivation in Costa Rica, however, because of high production costs and a drop in international prices, by 2021 the cultivated area could fall to 38,000 hectares.
Directors of the National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (Canapep) explained that the fall in the price of pineapple internationally is because of increased competition, since countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Panama, have managed to gain market share in the U.S. and Europe.
After reaching a $200 million record in exports in 2016, in 2018 the value of pineapple juice sold by Costa Rican companies abroad fell to $104 million.
According to the annual report "Foreign trade in the agricultural sector", published by the Executive Secretariat of Agricultural Sector Planning (Sepsa), in the last two years’ pineapple juice exports have reported a downward trend, from $200 million to $156 million between 2016 and 2017, and from $156 million to $104 million between 2017 and 2018.
In the first half of the year interceptions of goods in the US suspected of being contaminated with insects rose by 32% compared to the same period in 2015.
Data provided by the health authorities of the United States to Costa Rica indicates that most of the detained shipments were stopped on suspicion of the presence of the cochineal bug.
Chinese health authorities are inspecting plants and pineapple farms in the country as part of the process of market opening for the Costa Rican fruit.
In addition to inspections on farms and plants, a technical mission to China has verified health checks undertaken by the laboratories of the State Phytosanitary Service. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, "...Costa Rica's successful entry could result in a need to expand the amount of land planted with this fruit, which is currently 45,000 hectares. "
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