Windward Island Bananas prices fall

Last Friday another blow was dealt to banana farmers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and more so the Windward Islands, so says the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Chairman of Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company (WIBDECO), Montgomery Daniel.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Daniel told the press that he received the news on Friday that one of the main buyers of Windwards bananas has reduced their price from 85p to 68p per kilogram.{{more}}

Although the minister expressed concern about the drop in prices, he however stated that this is not the first time the prices have gone down, as in 2006 the industry survived a price drop to 65p per kilogram.

“At the reduction of price in the marketplace I want our farmers to know that I have been in contact with the CEO of WIBDECO and that WIBDECO will not drop its price to farmers until the end of this year,” Daniel assured farmers.

“In September there is going to be an announcement from the EU but we are continuing to have meetings in the Caribbean to try and come to one common decision before the decision is being made,” Daniel told the media on Tuesday.

On the 7th May the Minister will travel to Belize for a meeting where members of the CARICOM region would come together to see how they could come to one decision before having discussions with the African and Latin growers.