Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Bananas have plenty of room for growth in Poland
The consumption of bananas in Poland stands at an average of 7 kg per year per person, but fruit importers estimate that it could potentially be even three times higher. Scandinavia, for instance consumes 18 kg per person. Retail sales are on the rise, as bananas are considered part of a healthy lifestyle. These fruits are exported to Poland mainly by Ecuador and Colombia. Imports in 2014 amounted to 326.5 thousand tonnes, with a total value of over 907 million złoty (213.66 million Euro).
In the EU as a whole, average consumption reaches approximately 10 kg per person per year. In Poland, banana sales depend largely on seasonality and the availability of other fruits of domestic production. Bananas are the second most popular fruit, behind apples, although due to the promotion of the consumption of apples because of the Russian embargo, the gap between them has increased.
In any case, bananas are one of the dominant products imported into Poland from the region of Central America and South America. In the period from January to August this year, imports grew by 18.4 percent, from 2.06 billion to 2.44 billion Euro.
According to data from Eurostat, the EU markets received more than 5 million tonnes of bananas (from non-European markets) last year. The main suppliers are Ecuador and Colombia, with 1.47 million and 1.08 million tonnes, respectively.