Importance of the banana industry
The industry provides a very valuable source of foreign exchange. Dominica earned about EC$40 million in 1998 and produced 30,000 tons in 1999; St.Lucia produced 80,000 tons and earned about EC$87.6 million in 1999; St. Vincent about EC$38.9 million in 1997 and produced 43,000 tons in 1999: Belize earned about BZ$43.16 million in 1998 and produced 78,000 tons in 1999; Jamaica earned about US$29.6 million in 1999 and produced about 130,000 tons and Dominican Republic produced 432,000 tons.
Other Caribbean producing countries are: Haiti produced 290,000 tons in 1999; Cuba produced 115,000 tons in 1999; Colombia produced 1,600,000 tons in 2005; Costa Rica produced 2,200,000 tons in 2005; Mexico produced 2,000,000 tons in 2005; Guatemala produced 733,000 tons in 1999; Honduras produced 861,000 tons in 1999; Nicaragua produced 69,000 tons in 1999; Panama produced 650,000 tons and Venezuela produced 1,000,000 tons.
Banana cultivation is a major employer of rural labor as it is a labor-intensive industry. In Dominica, it is the second largest employer after the government, providing work for 6,000 farmers with another 700 employed at boxing plants. In St. Lucia, it provides employment for about 10,000 workers. In St. Vincent, there are about 5,000 banana growers.
Problems facing the banana industry
The small size of farms makes for inefficient production and contributes to a low standard of living. In Dominica, 8% of the fruit is supplied by 51% of the banana farming population, medium growers supply 41% and over 51% is supplied by large land holders. In the Windward group generally, the majority of the farming population owns less than a third of the banana acreage. In Grenada, there are a large number of peasant plots given to intercrop cultivation with bananas. In St. Vincent, the pattern is the same, although output is greater from the estates. The small size of farms provides a low income to farmers as they are unable to apply fertilizers or minimize the risk of insect pests and diseases.
Low income returns to farmers are experienced when low prices are offered though shipping and marketing agents. As a result, farmers are unable to effectively increase their production. They are unable to apply fertilizers or to minimize risks caused by diseases. The industry is plagued with high costs and low prices. Bananas are also plentiful in Latin America and Africa, thus imposing a threat to the Caribbean's position on the British market. The United Kingdom imports a high percentage of their fruit from the Caribbean. Too great a supply reduces the price of the fruit. This is an economic disadvantage since the fruit is perishable.
In Grenada, the Moko disease (Ralstonia solanacearum) has caused much destruction in the northern part of the island while it has eradicated the industry in Trinidad and Tobago out of commercial production during the 1960s. Black sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) causes premature ripening of the fruit. It has wiped out 40% of Dominica's 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of banana cultivation. Even when the fruit is exported there is a high incidence of ship-ripe fruit which arrive at their destination in poor condition.
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