Summer has rarely been kind to him. Banana crops face high temperatures that push production forward and push farmers to seek alternatives to move fruit. The year has grown tougher with shifting weather and rising thermometers since last October. Heat has advanced harvests, and the market has struggled to absorb the extra supply. As a result, banana growers have discarded more than five million kilograms of fruit so far this year. Domingo Martín, president of the Association of Canary Islands Banana Producer Organizations, known as Asprocan, notes that the fruit has surged this season, shifting supply patterns in unexpected ways.
Overproduction triggers the search for new outlets. Which path do producers take first to protect prices on the Peninsula? They often try selling to nearby markets such as Morocco, but much of the surplus is withdrawn from circulation. In many cases, the bananas simply become animal feed. A portion of production is donated to charities, with some lots going to food banks. Yet staffing shortages and vacations have disrupted these efforts, as Martín explains.
There are years when the figures are stark. In 2016 and 2017, more than 15 million bananas were removed from the market, and photographs of fruit residues scattered around the Islands captured public attention. The amount withdrawn in recent years has declined and typically does not exceed ten million kilograms annually on average.
volcano effect
Asprocan’s data reflects rising output. In the thirtieth week of the year, the penultimate week of July, shipments to the national market reached 54 million kilograms more than in the same week in 2022. This jump is notable partly due to the La Palma eruption, which damaged about 600 hectares of crops on Isla Bonita, yet available data also show higher figures when compared with 2021. In the referenced week, production was already eight and a half million kilograms higher than the same period two years prior.
Weather has added weight to the supply, and bananas have not been the top fruit of the summer shopping cart. Theo Hernando, secretary general of the Canary Islands Farmers and Ranchers Association, known as Asaga, observes that melons, watermelons, and peaches tend to lead summer purchases. The school holidays also push the banana down the list. Overproduction combined with weaker demand pushes prices downward, and producers intervene during peak periods to stem price falls as supply remains high and demand softens.
Last year, shortages in certain products contributed to price increases during the summer. Data from Asprocan show that the average price for Canary Islands bananas on the Peninsula peaked in August 2022 at about 3.29 euros per kilo. In the same month, farmers sometimes paid as little as 1.36 euros per kilo, and current reports indicate farmers are receiving around 0.90 euros per kilo. Producers express concern that production costs are not fully covered at these prices, leading to losses for some growers.
Inflation has driven many consumers toward cheaper options, including imported bananas, which often do not meet the same European standards demanded of Canarian producers. Officials from Asaga assert that island-grown bananas comply with environmental, labor, and phytosanitary regulations that may not be mirrored by imports. Critics argue that some foreign products enter the market without meeting local rules. There is a call for European-wide regulations that ensure consistent production conditions regardless of origin.
Farmers receive about 90 cents per kilo for their bananas, while August 2022 saw a peak around 1.36 euros per kilo when production was lower. The withdrawal of fruit from circulation typically totals around 10 million kilograms annually, with more than five million discarded this year. In the 30th week, shipments to the national market stood at 54 million kilos higher than in the same week of 2022, underscoring the season’s unusual dynamics and the ongoing challenge of balancing supply with demand.