Canary Islands banana will face the threat of African bananas.

The production costs are much lower than on the Canary Island banana.

In Spain the entry of African banana is having an important significance, whose production costs are considerably lower with respect to banana.

While it is true that increased consumption of banana in Spain, the Canary Island banana maintains a stable market share around the 65% volume and 75% value.

"We see that there is a large price differential for consumers at point of sale that makes it difficult for us to maintain current fee levels", says Sergio Cáceres, Manager of ASPROCAN.

"The approval of the" Protected geographical indication Canary Islands banana two years ago is more than just a quality seal, It also involves exposure at the point of sale in a differentiated way. We are working to inform and to make known that there is this right for consumers".

Sergio Cáceres denounces that the extreme tariff that you are applying to imports of bananas from third countries was not envisaged, beyond what has been agreed with the European Commission, When the Community banana joined the POSEI program, Programme of European aid to the production of bananas in the outermost regions (Canary Islands, Madeira, Martinique and Guadeloupe).

Therefore, "we believe that this program is not valid because we have another scenario. We believe that this process of extreme tariff has been back to the Community producers, that leaves us in a critical situation.

To all this we must add the bilateral agreements, where new countries are added, and the last will be Ecuador, a power in the banana industry, able to unbalance the European market.

ASPROCAN Manager, "it would be a disaster for the situation of unfair competition that our competitors are finished beating differentiation in quality and accreditation environmental of our product.

Every time we have more arguments to prove our differentiation, not only through communication, Since this has to be based on a reality. The product has different qualities; from there we are working hard on environmental issues. Banana generates 12.000 jobs, a product that takes care of the economy of the Canary Islands".

Although, Although little significant, There are always minor changes, in the last twenty years the surface of Canary Islands banana production is stable in the archipelago in the order of the 9.100 hectares.

In 2014 It reached the 364.257 tons, 486 more than in 2013, but not to the usual average of about of 375.000 tons.

They lost more than 15 millions of pounds by high winds that caused the fall of fruit, but it also affects the performance of plants over time. This year, at the moment the weather is being more stable.