The UN lowers its growth prospects in Latin America due to the war in Ukraine

From February 24 to date, 2.33 million boxes of bananas and 4 million pounds of shrimp have stopped being exported.

The situation of the national export sector, especially bananas and shrimp, the country's two main non-oil export products, worsens as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, marking one month since Vladimir Putin's regime began its incursion into Ukrainian territory on February 24.

According to figures shown by theCorporation of Exporting Guilds of Ecuador (Cordex)more than2.33 million boxes of bananasThey have not been exported to Russia and Ukraine in that period, affecting a quarter of the exports of this non-oil product; situation that seriously affects the entire fruit production and export chain.

Furthermore, the statistical observatory of theAssociation of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE)reported negative absolute variations in Russia, Ukraine and also other Central Asian countries dependent on Russia. The FOB value left to export is$18.33 million, a reduction of 42.57% compared to 2021.

The war conflict has generated a series of economic sanctions on Russia, which causes delays in payments, reduction of purchases or cancellation of contracts with banana exporters by Russian importers; as well as the logistical problems due to the decision of several shipping companies not to transport the fruit to Russia, due to the high container congestion in the different European ports, where transfers are made to St. Petersburg.

Shrimp, meanwhile, progressively stopped being exported to Russia and Ukraine, generating losses of more than $10 million, after not being able to send around 4 million pounds of shrimp since he declared himself in conflict.

However, Cordex recalled that in the face of the serious problem, producers and exporters are working together on measures to mitigate the damage to the industry and the country. The main news, in the morning and afternoon

In the case of bananas, this initiative, which seeks to prevent the fruit from leaving the country at very low costs to other destinations, was announced last week by the Banana and Platanero Cluster.

“Representatives of the banana cluster are holding talks with the prefectures of Guayas, Los Ríos and El Oro, as well as with other institutions so that the food programs are ready to receive the fruit that cannot be exported to the countries in conflict,” he reiterated. the union, which added that non-exported bananas will also serve as fertilizer for agricultural lands due to their high potassium content.

In addition, AEBE and the Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec) urged consumers, supermarkets, international importers and all those who make up the chain, “to act accordingly, aware of the impact caused by the different externalities and costs that cannot be assumed only by producers and exporters, but must be shared by all members of the banana chain.”

In this way, the unions “demand” compliance with shared responsibility, paying the fair price for the fruit, since if they do not do so, the sustainability of Ecuadorian bananas will be threatened.