Buy Ivory Coast Bananas Directly From Exporters & Suppliers - Best of 2024 Market Prices

Primarily, Ivory Coast bananas are grown for local consumption. They are eaten raw, when ripe and can also be dried and made into flour or powder. These fruits are rich in vitamins C, B A, potassium as well as fibre.

The origin of bananas is Southeast Asia, and they are considered to be among the first harvest of fruits by primitive agricultures. In the 16th century, they were introduced to Cuba, and by the 19th, there were commercial plantations in Jamaica and afterwards in Mexico and other parts of the world.

The Ivorian banana tree is a giant 3-6m plant. It has a trunk that bends without breaking. Other than the main stem, the tree has other stems called suckers that eventually grow into banana plants. Once a banana fruits, it dies, and the sucker replaces it. Its leaves are 2-4m large and closely rolled up over each other. Bananas are 7 inches long with either a yellow or green skin. They have a sweet lightly coloured flesh. The fruit has little black specks in the middle that are seeds but won’t germinate. 

The south and central parts of Ivory Coast, as well as the forest region, are the banana-growing areas. The country is at an expected 21,000 tons of production annually. Banana production is made suitable by the combination of the climate of equatorial West Africa. More than 80% of the banana harvest gets exported, and the country has had an annual export of close to 300,000 tonnes worth 28.5M dollars in recent years. Some of the banana-growing regions include Nieky and Akoupa. The Ivory Coast is the world’s 12th largest exporter and holds a 2.7% share in the global market. The banana sector represents 2% national GDP and 8% agricultural GDP of the country. By far, bananas are Ivory Coast’s largest fruit export. 

The Poyo banana is a tall improved cultivar, and a variety of the Chinese banana also called the canary banana. In contrast, the Cavendish Grand Nain also called Chiquita is a dominant variety that accounts for all exports and also has sub-varieties. 

Banana planting occurs at the end of the dry season so that before the rains start, the roots have grown. Ivory Coast bananas require quick draining and organic-rich soil. They also do well in areas with no wind. The rivers and natural streams available in the country allow for irrigation.

Bananas depending on the season can have up to three harvestings in a year. They get harvested all year round, so they are a non-seasonal crop.

Bananas do not ripen on the plant. If they do, the fruit splits. They are harvested by hand (machete) and kept in the shade to ripen. They after are transported by cableway or tractors.  One can only get about four harvests from a plantation before the output starts decreasing. 

In Ivory Coast, bananas get harvested at most a day before being shipped to prolong shelf life. They can be stored at a temperature above 13°c and a humidity of 85-95% but only for about three weeks. They are graded according to size from 40 to 45mm thickness and then get packed while stacked lengthwise in cartons, reefers and pallets. If the fruit is meant for export, it is ripened in the destination country in airtight rooms with ethylene. Transportation occurs at the refrigeration of 13.5°c-15°c.

The country exports to the EU and holds an advantage as it’s the nearest exporter and thus can export when the product is closer to maturity via sea.

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