Banana exports fall.(DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

Caribbean Update, April, 2008

Banana exports fell by 37% due to the effects of two strong tropical storms, Noel and Olga, late last year, reports DR1 Daily News (Feb. 18, 2008). These natural disasters hit when new competition was appearing on the scene, and both organic and conventional banana exports now face a new struggle to regain market shares.

Until Dec. 31, 2007, the European Union had a quota system for banana imports from the ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries. But in January, the market ...