In Russia, banana is one of the three most popular fruits. If during the warm season it can compete with seasonal fruits, then from the beginning of December the banana becomes one of the few fresh fruits available to the mass consumer.

However, fluctuations in demand for this product due to the change of season do not negate the fact that Russian consumers have long been willing to add bananas to their menu.

It's interesting that in Soviet Union bananas began to be supplied in the mid-50s. The scarce product was in high demand. True, at that time there was no talk of any aeration chambers; at best, bananas ripened for several weeks in the warehouse, and more often they were thrown out on the shelves green. The buyer had to place such a “semi-finished product” in a warm, dry place for a considerable period of time - they were kept on mezzanines, in ovens, under beds and even in felt boots.

However, such difficulties did not prevent bananas from gaining popularity among Soviet consumers. Fruits from Ecuadorian, Cuban, Vietnamese, Chinese suppliers, both fresh and dried.

Today, the competition for bananas among the fruits imported into the country is primarily apples and citrus fruits. According to the Federal Customs Service In Russia, citrus fruits are in first place in terms of import volume, with a total of tangerines, oranges, lemons, grapefruits and other fruits in this category. Apples and bananas are close to them according to import statistics for 2011-2012. Mass supplies of inexpensive Polish apples in the 2012-2013 season. led to an increase in the volume of imports in this category and a redistribution of shares in the import volumes of the top three fruit leaders. But new season will show whether this trend will continue or not.

Like many other imported fruits, the Russian banana market has seasonal supply. Based on the results of 2011 and 2012. The seasonal decline, usually associated with the presence of local products on the market, was observed only in the third quarter, while in the spring months the volume of imports was comparable to the peak supply volumes at the end of the year.

Exporters

Bananas are grown in almost all countries of the world with a humid tropical climate. About 90% of the imports of these fruits to Russia come from Ecuador; in addition, they are brought from Costa Rica, the Philippines, Colombia and China. There is a fairly stable system of connections between these exporting countries and the fruit markets of consuming countries. Thus, the world's largest market for banana consumption in the United States is traditionally supplied by Colombia and Costa Rica, while the Philippines is connected with supplies mainly from Japan.

Russia, which entered this system relatively recently, has already acquired stable ties with Ecuadorian suppliers. This is one of the world's largest banana exporting states, with its own specific approach to this issue. Banana production in Ecuador is considered one of the strategic areas of the economy and is carefully regulated by the state, which imposes certain limits on the specifics of work and pricing. For example, Ali Arjomandi, purchasing manager at Marhaba MTA General Trading, which buys fruit all over the world but is just starting to ship directly from Ecuador, told FruitNews: “One thing that surprised me was how Ecuadorians in general and the Ecuadorian government in particular regulate the banana trade: the way they control everything is constantly checked, trying to make sure that everything is according to the rules and that the farmers are well paid. For me this is a sign professional work allowing you to establish long-term business relationships.”

Other countries that supply bananas to the world market, such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama, do not control prices at the state level, and a number of importers find this approach more suitable for the development of market relations. A similar point of view in a conversation with FruitNews was supported by Andrius Kerulis and Arturas Spycius from the Lithuanian company Augma. And yet, the complexity of working with Ecuador does not deter suppliers; rather, it simply leaves an imprint on their work.

An important factor determining Ecuador’s leading position in the supply of bananas to Russian market, is the denser fruit structure and longer shelf life of bananas from this country. Representatives of the banana industry in Ecuador attribute this fact to an even and relatively mild climate without significant temperature changes, characteristic of this region. For the Russian market, with its remoteness and large territories, the possibility of long-term storage and transportation is of key importance.

Trends

On the other hand, with the recent departure of the three largest players in the Russian banana market, which largely determined the supply structure and consolidated the market, not only the number of Russian banana importers is growing, but also the variety of countries from which these fruits are imported. This trend was further influenced by the growing share of container shipments in the banana market. The absence of the need to load an entire vessel at a time leads to a significant reduction in the minimum entry “qualification” in the banana market. The ability to organize supplies in small quantities allowed small importers to take part in shaping the market, experimenting with types of products and sources of supply, and also provided the opportunity for individual farmers from supplier countries to directly enter the export market. And dependence on transport, weather, socio-political conditions in countries where banana production is concentrated gives rise to additional risks and instability of the banana market.

IN recent years The Russian banana market grew steadily by 3%-5%. According to experts, recently Russian consumers have been switching to more expensive fruits, and the share of bananas in the diet of the wealthiest part of consumers is falling. But the general increase in fruit consumption in Russia supports the growth in banana imports, although it changes the geography of consumption. The shift in the main volumes of banana consumption to Russian regions leads to further fragmentation of the market, maintaining the trend of diversification of supplies.

Attention to regional consumers is combined with another trend - increasing the range of products within the category. Increasingly, red bananas began to appear on Russian shelves, more capricious in terms of transportation, but attracting consumers with their novelty. Sugar dwarf bananas, or baby bananas, can also be found in Russian stores, and sometimes even apple bananas. Russian importers and foreign exporters of products are looking for innovative ways to attract consumer attention and arouse interest in their product. They are experimenting with new varieties, looking for additional markets, primarily in the regions, and introducing marketing campaigns. For example, the popularization of non-standard options for consuming bananas in desserts and cocktails is also intended in the summer to maintain the attention of Russian buyers to the fruit, which was previously considered an attribute of the cold season.

In the banana market, the time has come for interesting marketing campaigns and small players, but at the same time, traditional established contacts with suppliers and established supply chains do not lose their importance.

Union of Banana Exporting Countries

The Union of Banana Exporting Countries (SP. Union de Paises Exportadores de Banano - UPEB) was created in 1973. Inspired by the example of OPEC, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama have teamed up in an attempt to form a community of major banana producers to coordinate exports to North American and European markets. The Philippines was the only key supplier of bananas to the US market that was not included in this union. In the 1980s Venezuela joined UPEB. The headquarters of UPEB is located in Panama City (Panama). The official languages ​​are German and English.

It should be noted that at that time bananas were supplied to Europe mainly from the former French and British colonies of the Caribbean, which had privileged access to the European market, and the largest monopolists in the US market were: United Brands Company, Standard Fruit and the Del Monte Corporation " UPEB participants proposed a special export tax - $1 for every forty-pound box of bananas exported. The monopolies opposed and threatened to abandon their activities. There was also a global glut of bananas at the time, and Ecuador, the leading producer, refused to support such a high tax. The export tax was agreed upon at $0.25.

Due to the EU's restrictive policy, which prevents the free export of bananas from the UPEB countries, a real “banana war” has broken out between the European Union and the Union of Banana Exporting Countries.

The European Union is one of the most significant importers of bananas in the world. The EU imports about the same amount of bananas as the US, which is more than three times the volume of bananas imported by the third largest banana-consuming country, Japan. Moreover, only in the EU there are tariff and quantitative restrictions on the import of bananas. European countries (England and France were especially notable for this) when importing bananas, gave preference to supplier companies from countries that were previously their colonies. This helped achieve political goals - with the help of banana purchases, those regimes that were loyal to the former metropolises were supported. But the losses were borne by transnational trading companies, most of which were based in the USA.

As a result, American companies lost approximately $190 million, and the United States imposed sanctions that cost Europeans $500 million (German coffee producers and French manufacturers of briefcases and handbags were particularly affected).

In 1975, the European Economic Community signed an international treaty with 48 former colonies (mainly those of France and Britain). In accordance with the agreement, these countries were provided with duty-free trade in bananas within the EEC. This agreement concerned mainly African countries and the Caribbean countries: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Somalia, etc. At the same time, bananas produced in the UPEB member countries, as already noted, were subject to import duties and quotas . Other requirements were also introduced, for example, the import of bananas from these countries was licensed.

European authorities motivated their decision by the need to support African countries for which the export of exotic fruits is their only source of income. EU trade restrictions have been a heavy blow to the American banana business also because it is going through difficult times due to overproduction of this type of agricultural product. Today, Ecuador alone is able to satisfy 40% of Europe's banana needs.

The conflict was resolved only in April 2001, when the EU came to an agreement with the United States and Ecuador. The main agreement reached can be considered the EU's commitment to introduce, from January 1, 2006, only a tariff regime for bananas from UPEB countries without quotas and import licensing, as well as a significant reduction in the “preferential” quota (i.e. quotas for former colonies).

The UPEB countries, especially Ecuador and Costa Rica, which rank 2nd and 3rd among banana exporting countries (after the Philippines), condemned the preferential policies implemented towards former colonies in Africa. Import duties The EU were found to be unfair, and the WTO obliged the EU to bring them into line with global trade agreements. Representatives of the Ecuadorian banana sector have asked the EU to provide support in the fight against the campaign that violates the principles of free trade and to remove the system of import tariffs. They also stated that they regard the measures imposed on the import of bananas from African, Pacific and Caribbean countries as illegal and illegal.

Officially, the “banana wars” ended only after a meeting of representatives of the 35 countries involved in the dispute at the WTO summit in Geneva in July 2008. The tariff for the import of bananas into the EU is proposed to be set by 2016 at 114 euros per ton instead of the current 176. Already in 2010 prices should be lowered to 148 euros per forty-pound box.

The new “banana” agreement between UPEB and the EU was signed in 2009. According to statements by international experts, the tariff program proposed by the European Union regarding tariff rates banana supplies is insufficient and unsatisfactory for Latin American exporters, but an official response from UPEB has not yet been received.

Today, member countries of the Union of Banana Exporters account for 50% of the world exports of this product. The decisions they make regarding the supply of bananas to the world market, in particular on conducting research into the possibility of expanding banana consumption or creating a common marketing company, can be classified as multilateral. Main markets: USA, European Union, Russia, New Zealand, Far East, Japan and Chile. UPEB countries also export processed foods such as banana puree, banana flour, dehydrated bananas and banana chips. Kro4.6. International organizations metal producers and exporters

In addition, UPEB countries offer organic bananas available throughout the year.

Today, Ecuador already exports about 20% of its bananas to Russia. Russian “fruit kings” are consistently turning their companies into vertically integrated structures. Since there are practically no “free” banana plantations left in Africa and Latin America, Russian businessmen began to buy land in Ecuador.

The share of production in the cost structure of bananas does not exceed 30% on average. The rest comes from transportation (35%), customs duties(20%), costs of maintaining a permanent office in Ecuador and packaging (15%). Having our own raw material base allows us to insure ourselves against speculation in the Ecuadorian banana market. Thus, cooperation Russian business and UPEB are extremely promising.

For more details, see http://www.foodretail.ru, www.fruitnews.ru

Who among us has not eaten bananas? This fruit is very popular all over the world due to its wonderful taste. It is consumed both fresh and as part of various dishes and salads. At the same time, the demand for bananas is growing every year, as is their production. However, have you ever wondered how bananas grow, in which countries they are produced most? What do bananas grow on? And in general, what are they, these gifts of nature?

The answers to these questions and much more interesting and useful information are given below.

Classmates

It has long been a stereotype among ordinary people that bananas grow on palm trees and in the wild. But this is not entirely true.

It may seem strange, but from a scientific point of view, banana is a perennial herbaceous plant, and its fruits are multi-seeded and thick-skinned berries.

The question immediately arises - where are these seeds? The thing is that they are found in wild fruits that are oval in shape and require peeling. And those that are sold on supermarket shelves are the product of the work of breeders, the cultural form of this berry they created. In total, there are more than 40 species and 500 varieties of bananas (Latin name - Musa).

The most common cultivated banana varieties are:

• Lady finger;
• Gros Michel;
• Dwarf Cavendish;
• Giant Cavendish;
• Lakatan;
• Valerie;
• Robusta;
• Mysore.

Edible varieties are divided into 2 large groups. The first is bananas, which have sweet fruits for consumption raw. The second category includes plantains, which produce starchy fruits for subsequent culinary processing.

Bush with green bananas

The banana has a structure characteristic of herbaceous plants, namely: powerful roots and a stem with leaves, from 6 to 20 pieces. It is the second tallest grass in the world (after bamboo).

Do they grow on trees or not?

What tree do bananas grow on? Good question. After all, if you look from the outside, it seems like a banana. However, as already mentioned, the plant itself is herbaceous, that is, it is not a tree, although it grows up to 8 m (higher than many trees). The diameter of the stem reaches 40 cm.

Banana leaves can reach a length of up to 3 m and a width of 50 cm, and they do not grow on branches, but directly from the trunk. This ratio of stem and leaf sizes is typical for herbs, but not for trees.

Banana leaves grow from a short tuberous stem (found underground) to form a visible or false stem.

The root system of the plant deepens by 1.5 m, while spreading 4.5-5 m to the sides, like most grasses. The leaves are layered on top of each other; a feature of their structure is a large longitudinal vein running through the center. The color of the leaves depends on the variety; they can be completely green, have dark burgundy spots, or be two-colored: green on top and crimson below.

Bananas grow in clusters, their number can reach up to 100 pieces. The greatest productivity is observed at high humidity, although this can lead to the development of fungal diseases. The presence of sunlight is also very important.

Life cycle in nature

Life cycle banana is typical for herbaceous plants - development of a false stem, flowering, fruiting and dying of leaves.

After the first shoots appear (during seed propagation), rapid development begins. In nature, bananas grow very quickly - in just 9-10 months, their false stems reach a height of 8 m. At this age, the reproductive period (phase) in the life of the plant begins. A characteristic sign of this stage is the cessation of the formation and growth of new leaves.

Instead, a flowering stem begins to develop inside the false trunk. After 2-3 weeks, a large purple bud-shaped inflorescence is formed. Under its base are bananas, which in the future will become fruits. The largest flowers are female, they are at the top. A little lower are the bisexual flowers, and at the very bottom are the male flowers, they are the smallest.

Pollination of female flowers is carried out by:

• sunbirds;
• tupai (small animals similar to squirrels);
• insects (butterflies, bees, wasps);
• bats (at night).

The latter are attracted by the specific smell of the inflorescences. As it develops, a cluster of fruits is formed, resembling a hand with many fingers. After ripening, they are literally attacked by the same animals and birds, thanks to which pollination occurred.

When fruiting is completed, the false stem dies, after which a new one begins to grow.

How do they reproduce?

There are 2 ways how bananas reproduce:

• using seeds;
• vegetative method.

Vegetative propagation is a faster and more reliable method than seed propagation. Biologically, the process is as follows: after the plant bears fruit, its above-ground part dies off, and the root grows to the side, creating new bushes.

Bananas are propagated by suckers and parts of the rhizome (rhizome). The most tenacious and productive offspring are formed during the fruiting of the mother plant; during this period they have a maximum supply of nutrients. As for planting rhizomes, it is best to use pieces weighing from 1.5 to 2 kg of whole rhizomes dug up from old plantations

Planting is best done at the beginning of the rainy season.

In nature, bananas reproduce using seeds located inside the fruit. At the same time, the wild banana fruit itself is inedible. It can contain from 50 to 100 seeds, sometimes their number reaches 200. Seeds germinate after falling into the ground (for example, when a ripe fruit falls). This takes time, because they are covered with a thick peel. After about 2 months, a green shoot will appear and the plant will begin to develop.

Cultivated varieties are propagated only by vegetative methods and with human help. The reason for this is the complete absence of seeds in the edible banana fruit.

Due to vegetative propagation, cultivated banana varieties do not renew their gene pool, as a result of which they have little resistance to fungal diseases.

Soils with a high humus content and good drainage are best suited for plantation cultivation. If the drainage is poor, then the risk of infection by the same fungi increases many times over. To maintain high yields, it is advisable to use potassium and nitrogen fertilizers.

In what countries do they grow?

Banana is one of the oldest plants cultivated by man. As Russian scientist Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov established during his many years of research, its homeland is Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago. In this section we will look at where the banana grows and in which countries it is produced most.

In what countries do bananas grow? Nowadays, they are grown in at least 107 countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa with humid and tropical climates. It is used as:

• food product (fresh and in form);
• base for making banana beer and wine;
• raw materials for fiber production;
• ornamental plant.

Of course, the main purpose of banana fruits is. The leader in the consumption of these fruits per capita is the small African country of Burundi - here each citizen eats almost 190 kg per year. It is followed by Samoa (85 kg), Comoros (almost 79 kg) and Ecuador (73.8 kg). It is clear that in these countries this crop is one of the staple foods. For comparison: on average, each Russian consumes just over 7 kg of bananas annually.

Banana crop ranks 4th in the world among cultivated plants, after rice, wheat and corn. This is not least due to its high calorie content - 91 kcal per 100 g of product, which is higher than, for example, potatoes (83 kcal per 100 g). The only downside is how long it takes for a banana to grow. After all, before flowering begins, you need to wait 8 or more months until the plant itself ripens.

The export of bananas, which became possible with the advent of refrigeration units at the beginning of the 20th century, over time turned into a highly profitable business and remains so in our time.

The list of leaders in banana production for 2013 (in millions of tons) looks like this:

1. India (24.9).
2. China (10.9).
3. Philippines (9.3).
4. Ecuador (7).
5. Brazil (6.9).

Banana products are imported mainly from European countries, the USA and Canada. The leader in this direction, the United States, purchases almost $2.5 billion worth of bananas every year.

Here you should immediately answer the common question “Do bananas grow in Africa?” As noted, they are native to tropical and humid countries, so yes. However, there are not as many of them here as in Asian and Latin American countries - the leader on the African continent is Tanzania, which produced 2.5 million tons in 2013.

Useful video

Bananas in Russia have long ceased to be exotic, but not many people know where and how these fruits grow. Meanwhile, bananas are not only sweet fruits, but also useful stems and beautiful decorative flowers:

Conclusion

Above we looked at how bananas grow and where, as well as some features of their structure and development. Let's summarize the main results:

1. Banana is not only a tasty fruit, but also an interesting plant. It is herbaceous, although the size of this “grass” misleads people, giving rise to the myth that bananas grow on trees.
2. Cultivated varieties can only be propagated with the help of humans, but they have wonderful taste characteristics and are devoid of seeds inside the fruits
3. The importance of banana culture for humanity is difficult to overestimate: in many countries, banana is traditionally one of the main food products, as well as the main export product. Therefore, states where bananas grow are constantly increasing production volumes. This means that the importance of this culture will only increase in the future.

BANANA(Musa paradisiaca, Musa sapientum)

Scientific characteristics:
Kingdom: Plants
Department: Angiosperms
Class: Monocots
Order:Zingeberales
Family: Banana
Genus: Banana

Story:
Today, the diet of a Westerner is unthinkable without bananas, although the banana was almost the last to arrive in Europe - after cocoa, coffee and tobacco.

One of the first Europeans to appreciate the taste of bananas was Alexander the Great. In the year 327 before Christ, the great commander tasted the exotic fruit during his Indian campaign and was delighted, as the legend says.

Dozens of varieties of banana were cultivated in India, and the earliest references to this plant are found in ancient Buddhist texts dating back to the sixth century BC. The first plantations of perennial grasses of the banana family appeared around the second century BC in China. From China and India, the plant began its victorious march to other Asian countries. Arab slave traders and ivory hunters brought the banana to Africa, where the plant took root and became so widespread that the myth about the African origin of the banana still lives on.

In the early 15th century, Portuguese colonialists brought the banana to the Canary Islands and then to the New World. The Franciscan monk Tomaso de Berlanga, the future archbishop of Panama, founded the first banana plantation near his monastery on the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo in 1516. However, only slaves and cattle were fed bananas; the conquistadors did not eat the plebeian fruit, which had already spread throughout Central America.

Until 1866, the banana remained unknown to residents of North America and Europe. Travelers who visited banana countries excitedly talked about the wonderful fruit, sweet as sugar and satisfying as bread, but the banana was considered unsuitable for transportation, since it ripened even before it could be dragged along the tropical off-road to the nearest seaport.

And again, immigrants from Eastern Europe came to the aid of the sluggish colonialists. It remains to be seen how long the banana revolution would have been delayed if not for two emigrants - Samuil Zhemurai and Minor Keith.

Having visited Latin America and appreciated the commercial qualities of an unpretentious agricultural crop that produces crops all year round, they got a loan from a bank and began to build communication routes. First, a network of narrow gauge railways railways The previously inaccessible jungles of Costa Rica and Ecuador were covered, then the gigantic territories of what are now Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Guatemala.

The American premiere of the “banana for the people” took place in 1876 in Philadelphia, at an exhibition dedicated to the centennial anniversary of the declaration of independence of the United States. Each fruit was wrapped in waxed paper and cost 10 cents - the same as a liter of milk or a glass of beer. Soon, all of North America was hooked on bananas: just four years after the exhibition, the United States imported 16 million banana blossoms.

It was the so-called banana “inflorescences” that remained the unit of measurement in the banana trade until the fifties of the 20th century. A standard “inflorescence” - or, more precisely, a huge trunk dotted with banana bunches - should have contained at least three hundred fruits. In 1951, the “inflorescences” were replaced by an eighteen-kilogram flat box, which remains the standard packaging to this day.

Meanwhile, Latin America was gripped by a real banana fever. The tropical fruit, once brought by the conquistadors, turned out to be salvation for the Latin American continent. In the most remote and forgotten corners of God, plantations were laid out, electricity and telegraph lines were installed, schools for children, trading shops and bars were opened. In 1899, banana producers from Latin America united to form the United Banana Company. The company remains the world's leading exporter of bananas to this day - they are sold under the Chiquita brand.

Harry Lemke, a merchant of colonial goods from the city of Hamburg, stopped in the corner of his port warehouse and began to sniff. An unusually sweet aroma spread from behind a pile of empty tea boxes piled in the corner. Lemke ordered the boxes to be removed. Imagine the amazement of all those present when a trunk covered with fragrant, shining yellow fruits was discovered in the corner. A couple of weeks ago one of the captains brought fruit from an overseas voyage. Desperately green and tasteless, they did not make much of an impression and were thrown into the far corner. Two months later, bananas appeared in the assortment of the colonial goods store "Lemke and Sons".

The store was located on the most luxurious Hamburg promenade - the Jungfernstieg embankment, known throughout Germany as the “bride fair”. Young girls of marriageable age walked along the Alster and were not at all embarrassed to eat bananas - on the contrary, the new delicacy became the squeak of the season. IN fashion stores Banana-shaped handbags, banana-shaped scarves and shawls, and even hats decorated with papier-mâché bananas were sold.

In 1903, the first cargo ship with a refrigerated hold rolled off the stocks. It was called "Venus" and sailed between the Ecuadorian port of Guayaquil and Marseille. It was Paris that became the banana capital of Europe, and it was in Paris that the “career” of the banana as an object began modern culture. Banana has become an integral part of art salons. Salvador Dali and young Pablo Picasso appeared at the opening days with a banana in hand. Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Rousseau included bananas in their still lifes. Fashionable stores sold banana-shaped handbags and hats decorated with papier-mâché bananas. American dancer and singer Josephine Baker created a sensation with her performance in “Revue Negro” - a native of the city of Saint-Louis performed a semblance of a ritual African dance, dressed only in a skirt made of bananas. In the twenties, Josephine Baker's "banana dance" became widespread throughout Europe.

General characteristics:
Bananas are tall, sometimes gigantic herbs with powerful rhizomes and short stems. The leaves are very large, in the sheaths, which form a multilayer tube, there is a false stem. Young leaves emerge through it, and then an inflorescence resembling a huge brush. Flowers are unisexual and bisexual. The fruit is polyspermous, berry-shaped, thick-skinned; in cultivated forms it is often devoid of seeds (plants reproduce only vegetatively) and reaches 15 cm in length and 3-4 cm in diameter. Up to 300 such fruits can develop on one axis; their total weight reaches 50-60 kg. After fruiting, the above-ground part of the banana dies off.

Bananas belong to the group of sweet fruits. They are famous all over the world. Consumed raw. The fruit of a cultivated banana consists of 40% peel and 60% powdery sweet pulp; the seeds are not developed. The pulp of the fresh fruit contains 14-22% sugars, 5-8% starch, and up to 1.5% protein. The aroma of banana fruits depends on isovaleric-novo-isoamyl and acetic-isoamyl esters. The fruits are consumed fresh and dried; banana flour, canned food, marmalade, syrup, and wine are prepared from them.

Some types of banana have fruits with hard, mealy, unsweetened pulp; They are used mainly for livestock feed, and are eaten only in fried and boiled form. Textile or spinning banana is grown as a technical plant ( M. textilis), from the false trunks of which light, strong fiber is extracted, the so-called. Manila hemp (abaca), used for making marine ropes, fishing tackle, etc. Japanese banana, or decorative ( M. basjoo), grown on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and Crimea as ornamental plant. How a food and textile plant is grown in Africa Abyssinian banana (M. ensete), which is now more often placed in the genus Ensete ( E. ventricosum).

The banana is cut when it is still green. Ripening occurs on the way to the consumer country or in warehouses. Bananas are delivered to Ukraine by sea on powerful refrigerated vessels, the refrigeration units of which allow the fruit to be preserved in a state of “removable” ripeness throughout the entire transportation period.

Production:

Storage:
The shelf life is determined by the condition of the batch upon arrival at its destination and the choice of film in which the bananas are packaged. In case of using polypack film maximum term storage period is 28 days from the moment of cutting the fruits, "banavac" and "high dencity" - 40-50 days (due to the modified gas environment during transportation and storage). The safety of bananas during transportation is achieved by maintaining a constant pulp temperature at 12-14 °C. At temperatures below 10 °C, bananas spoil.

Main banana producing countries:
India, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Philippines, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Thailand, Burundi.

Banana ripeness chart:

Evenly green - normal color upon receipt

Green-yellow - ready for wholesale delivery

Yellow with green noses - good color for sale

Evenly yellow is the ideal color to sell.

Yellow with brown spots - fully ripe, maximum nutritional content, must be sold immediately.

Did you know that three out of ten bananas eaten in the world grow in Ecuador?

Ecuador is the world's main banana exporter, producing unrivaled bananas high quality and exquisite taste.
At the same time, everything production processes carried out in accordance with international security standards environment. The good climate and fertile soils mean that plantations in Ecuador require half the fungicide cycle compared to banana production in other countries.

Bananas in Ecuador are a constant presence throughout the year, with approximately 180,000 cultivated hectares and 12% of the labor force.

The banana varieties grown in Ecuador are Veleri, Grand Cavendish, Grand Nain and Lacaten. Main markets: USA, European Union, Russia, New Zealand, Far East, Japan and Chile. Ecuador also exports processed foods such as banana puree, banana flour, dehydrated bananas and banana chips. Likewise, Ecuador offers organic bananas, also available throughout the year.

Consumer portrait:

"Bananas are eaten by both young and old, whether rich or poor"
But still, banana consumption depends on many factors - demographic, social and many others. In many ways, the culture of consumption is also determined by the country in which a person lives.

Why do we eat bananas?

Banana is the king of all tropical fruits. The peel protects the fruit from external influences, and the fruit itself has a wonderful aroma, wonderful taste and is easily digestible.

Moreover, bananas are an essential source of potassium in the diet (2000 – 4000 mg of Potassium per day). 100 grams of banana contains about 370 mg of potassium.

The effects of potassium on human physiology have been demonstrated for many years, and for this reason, bananas are the choice of many people. Due to its high content in the fruit and peel, potassium is considered the most important nutrient in bananas. Therefore, in order for the quality of the fruit to be high, careful control over the use of potassium carbonate is necessary. The harvested fruit is taken from the fields large number potassium To replace the loss of potassium in fields, at least 500 kg of potassium carbonate per hectare is needed, even in soils rich in potassium.

Which bananas do consumers like?

which country is the world leader in banana cultivation and received the best answer

Answer from Irina Gromova[guru]
The leading countries in banana production are India (25% of the total world volume), China, the Philippines, Ecuador and Brazil (the latter countries each 10-11% of the total world volume).

Reply from HOLY_CRAP[expert]
Africa?

Reply from ®eaLbnb)y ko†E[guru]
Africa

Reply from Artemon Giggs[guru]
India and China, as well as the Philippines, occupy leading positions in the world

Reply from D E N V E R[guru]
The leader in the list of banana producing countries is INDIA.
In general, bananas are grown in almost all countries with a humid tropical climate, mainly in developing ones.
The islands of the Malay Archipelago are considered the birthplace of bananas. According to scientists, ancient inhabitants grew them and ate them in addition to their fish diet. Traveling through the islands of the Pacific Ocean, they stocked up on fruits known to them and thus contributed to the spread of bananas. According to another version, bananas were known in South America even before the arrival of Europeans. This version is based on the fact that the remains of banana leaves were found in Peruvian Indian tombs.
From India, bananas came after 650 to Palestine and the east coast of Africa. They were brought here by Arab merchants who actively traded in slaves and ivory. By the time Europeans began actively exploring Africa, bananas were already well known there. Bananas came to the Canary Islands from Guinea after 1402 thanks to the Portuguese, who began growing them. Fruits arrived on the island of Haiti 24 years after the discovery of America - only in 1516. Active cultivation of bananas in South America had already spread by the mid-16th century.
The cuisine of Latin American countries boasts the greatest variety of banana dishes. Here they are boiled, baked, stewed, fried in olive oil with spices, served with cheese, and even made into “honey” - a thick syrup obtained by boiling bananas for a long time. In a number of African countries, bananas, fried or stewed with other vegetables, are often served as a side dish for shrimp, tuna or other fish dishes.

Home » Loans » Dynamics of banana production in the world. Banana exporters and leaders in opium poppy cultivation. Let's get to know Belarus' neighbors according to the economic freedom rating. Life cycle in nature