Banana Exports Drop
Costa Rican banana
exports decreased
136,800 tons (11.6%)
during this year’s first
six months, compared
with the same period a
year ago.
The amount sold went
from 1,182, 149 tons in
the first six months in
2007 to 1,045,299 tons
in the same period in
2008, according to data
from the Promoter of
Foreign Trade (PROCOMER).
The value of the exports
also dropped, but only
us$6 million, from
us$344 million the first
semester last year to
us$338 this year’s.
According to experts,
this was brought about
by the low temperatures
registered at the end of
2007 and the drought in
the Caribbean area that
followed.
Bananas are Costa Rica’s
leading farm exports as
per the income it
generates and the second
in the overall sales
abroad, second only to
integrated circuits. The
activity means 40,000
direct jobs.
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