Southeast Asia, China can replace Ecuadorean bananas in Russia in case of ban: Experts

MOSCOW, Nov 28, 2019, TASS. Southeast Asian countries, China or India are likely to step in to replace bananas from Ecuador with own products if Russia suspends deliveries from that nation, experts told TASS on Wednesday.

Russia’s agriculture watchdog, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) said on Wednesday that it might temporarily suspend imports of horticultural products from Ecuador, which accounts for 96% of all bananas sold in Russia, due to pests discovered in them.

A spokesperson for the Association of Retail Companies (AKORT) said that if the ban is introduced, Russian retail shops will have to look for other suppliers, such as Chile, China or India.

“If those products are indeed found out to be dangerous, and an official ban is introduced, it will be obligatory for all companies, and retailers will strictly observe it,” the organization said.

Irina Nagaytseva, a representative of the Association of Food Production and Supply Companies, also named several alternative suppliers.

“If banana supplies [from Ecuador] are suspended, <...> two scenarios are possible for Russians. The first one will be the increase of deliveries from Southeastern Asian nations – The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka,” she said.

The other variant is to replace bananas at the domestic market with another fruit, such as apples, she added.

According to Nagaytseva, banana is among the top three most popular fruits in Russia, its annual consumption per capita is 8-9 kg.

“During the summer season it can be replaced with seasonal fruits, but in wintertime bananas become one of the few fresh fruits available to an average consumer,” she said.

The expert said that Russia is the world’s fourth largest banana importer. They are the second most popular fruit imported by Russia, trailing only citrus fruits.

Banana sales in Russia have posted stable growth in recent years, Nagaytseva went on. Last year, Russia imported over 1.5 million tonnes of bananas worth over $1.1 billion. Over $1.4 million tonnes were imported from Ecuador, over 22,000 tonnes – from Costa Rica and 12,500 – from Guatemala.