Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

40 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 1
values of consumption of that fruit. Despite Brazil being a big banana producer, almost all
its banana production goes to the domestic market. Four factors contribute to this: 1) the
size of the domestic market; 2) low quality requirement of the local market; 3) high
production costs; and 4) high prices in the domestic market. In recent years Brazil has
exported less than 1% of its banana production. The importing countries are Argentina and
Uruguay. Banana is grown all over Brazil. The north-eastern region of the country is the
biggest producer followed by the south-east, north, south and centre-west. The banana
production and marketing structures in south and south-east Brazil are more organised and
use more technology than in the north-east. The per capita consumption of banana in
Brazil in 1995 was 35 kg/person/year, thus making it the most consumed fruit of that
country. Regarding marketing, it was observed that the cultivar Prata (AAB) is most
preferred, especially in north-east Brazil. In the southern and south-eastern regions in
general, the cultivar Nanica (AAA) is preferred. However, in Belo Horizonte, Vitória, Rio de
Janeiro and Florianópolis, consumers prefer the cultivar Prata. This paper also explores
some indicators of the production process and marketing in the most important banana
growing areas of Brazil, trying to show that in both activities there are regional differences.
Introduction
This paper examines the banana crop in Brazil, focusing on economic aspects from
production to sale. Its aim is to provide an overview of the banana industry in Brazil,
making available information to help all the professionals involved, including those
responsible for the country’s agricultural policy.
Banana is a very important crop in Brazil, where it is rated second among fruit crops,
just behind citrus. On the other hand, regarding consumption, banana is number one,
with citrus second. Although constituting a very important staple food for poor people,
bananas are eaten by people of all social levels. Another important aspect of the banana
crop is its ability to generate employment, especially within the family. According to
Alves (1985), six men are needed to maintain one hectare of bananas.
Banana is grown nation-wide, and is a very important crop for several states.
Regarding the value of state agricultural production, banana is among the ten most
important crops. In 1997, the states of Bahia, Pará, São Paulo, Pernambuco, Santa
Catarina, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Ceará, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro were
responsible for about 76% of Brazilian banana production. The north-eastern region of
Brazil has the highest banana production, followed by the south-east.
Economic aspects of banana production and
consumption
According to FAO (1997) estimates, Brazil is the second world producer of bananas, just
behind India, which produces 16.82% of the total production (about 95 million metric
tons/year). Brazil contributes 9.79% and Ecuador 9.7%.