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Antilles bananas

Antilles bananas are doing well

This top quality fruit is on the rise

One of the most consumed fruits in the world, the banana (from the Bantu word “banana” meaning finger) appeared in South-East Asia, 500 years before our era. First introduced to the Caribbean islands in 1520, it found there a climate and land (volcanic soil) that favoured the development of its organoleptic virtues.

Credit photo : Aprifel

Identity card

The long, slightly curved fruit of the banana tree (musaceae family), ranging from green to yellow when ripe, the banana (hybrid of the wild species musa acuminata and musa balbisia) grows in bunches (or stems). Measuring up to nine metres in height, the banana tree is a giant grass that produces a single stem per year (weighing several hundred kilograms), which numbers up to 300 fruit, divided into “hands” (small bunches of about ten bananas).

The French West Indies (Antilles) produce several varieties, such as the Cavendish (great dessert banana), the fig-apple (small, sweet/tart, to be eaten raw), the plantain (thicker, sweet, for cooking), the poto (rare, short, thicker, for cooking), the poyo (green, long, for cooking as a vegetable, yellow when ripe and eaten raw), the pink banana (reddish pink skin, white very fragrant flesh). This fruit is perfect for physical effort because it is rich in potassium and sugar, very nourishing (90 calories for 100 grams) and highly digestible (no lipids). Often served fresh for dessert, bananas can also be cooked in many different ways.

Production and consumption

Introduced to Europe in the 18th century, the banana was first marketed a century later. It is the subject of fierce competition worldwide, opposing the ‘dollar’ banana producers from South America, backed by the USA, and producers from ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries and the Antilles (Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique).

Almost 3.8 million tons of ‘dollar’ bananas were sold in 2008, compared to 900,000 tons of ACP bananas and 600,000 tons of community bananas (including 250,000 tons from the Antilles). In France, bananas from the French Antilles grew by 14% (volumes) between 2008 and 2009.
(Source: Banane de Guadeloupe et Martinique / UGP Ban / Interfel - Aprifel / Cirad)

At Rungis Market

34,000 tons (all origins) were sold last year at Rungis.
As Mr Franck Lliso, Commercial Manager of Select Agrumes, explains: “Spring is the ultimate banana season. We sell about 6,000 packets a week, which represents about 100 tons. This is a stable market that accounts for 30% of our turnover.”

Matthieu NOLI

 

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