GEOG 1280: A Comparative Study of Banana Production in India & Ecuador

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the banana commodity chains in India and Ecuador. It examines the production, export, and economic significance of bananas in both countries. India is identified as a major producer, though its export volume is relatively low compared to its production. Ecuador, historically a leading banana exporter, has seen fluctuations in its export market. The essay highlights the importance of the banana sector for the economies of both nations, referencing statistics and reports to support its claims. The paper concludes that both India and Ecuador derive substantial economic benefits from banana production and trade, despite facing different challenges and opportunities in the global market.

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Commodities
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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
The commodity of banana.................................................................................................................2
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................4
References.............................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Bananas are considered as one of the greatest extensively consumed fruits in the world for
healthy reason. Consuming bananas could help to reduce the blood pressure and decrease the
threats of malignancy and asthma issues. Nowadays, bananas are produces in at least 107
nations and are ranked fourth among the sphere's food crops in financial value. In 2017
Canada imported bananas worth of $421.7 million (Mohapatra, Mishra, and Sutar, 31). It has
various health benefit and economic importance for the production countries. In this
particular research paper, the commodity of bananas and its role in the economy will be
discussed.
Commodity of banana
India
The international commodity chain of banana is complicated based on the manifold moving
areas and the collaboration of different parties. There are different stages of the banana
commodity such as growing, harvesting, packing, transportation and sell to the consumers.
India and Ecuador are the biggest exporter of banana in the world (Sakamma, Umesh, and
Rangegowda). The topmost banana producing country is India which produces this fruit
throughout the year.it is estimated that India produces 27, 575, 000 tons of this fruit every
year. It is mostly grown in the states like Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh,
Orissa, Tamilnadu, and Karnataka. There are different types of banana grown in India
includes Robusta, poovan nendran, and Dwarf Cavendish. The worth of expected annual
trade of these fruits is about $1.2bn. Banana production in India accounts for 13 percent of
the total production is highest in Maharashtra and Tamilnadu. India exports these fruits
mainly to the European Union, USA, and Japan. India shipped nearly 62, 799 kg of banana
fruit valued at nearly 28.90 lakhs to Qatar in the between 2012 to 2013 and nearly 3, 740 kg
which valued nearly 17.55 lakhs in the same year (Landge, and Ingle, 72-76). In 2017 the

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exports have been increased in UAE which recorded nearly 31.58 (worth of $ 15381297
USD) percent share in economic value, on the other hand, Oman recorded nearly 19.68
(worth of $ 9586085 USD) percent share in the value of banana imports. The export of
banana fruits has become a reason for economic growth in India. Although different studies
found that India is the largest producer of this fruit but still not the top exports. According to
a report published in The Hindubusinessline (2015) India produces nearly thirty percent of
the world's banana, but export is actually negligible art less than one percent. The process of
export to different countries remains the same mostly. The chain of commodity of banana to
middle east includes plantation by farmers, export of bananas by merchant, truckling to
packing station, washing and assurance of quality, packing, packed banana trucked to the
terminals, customer clearance, loading to ship, shipped to the middle east market, ripening,
and sell at wholesale market (Jacobsen, Kim, et al., 207-228).
In Ecuador
Production of bananas instigated in Ecuador in early 1910, at its top in the middle1950s,
Ecuador was the major banana market in the globe. As of 1960, the bananas transferred from
Ecuador accounted for twenty-five percent of the total world's production. In early 1974,
Ecuador turned into an associate of the Union of Banana Transferring Countries in an effort
to negotiating for better values. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s in this country, the
economic dogma of the foreign market was improved to fulfill with the global trade rule
(Brisbois, Ben Wesley, Leila Harris, and Jerry Spiegel, 61-81. This increased banana
transfers, accounting for nearly 21.1 percent of entire trades and 64.7 percent of complete
agricultural transfers throughout the period of the 1990s. In the year of 1998, there were
nearly 4,941 banana pots engaging staff of 98,000. In 1999 Dole recognized a novel loading
terminal at Bananapuerto in 1999. Transfers from Ecuador extended a record capacity of 6.4

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million tonnes this year. In between 1944 to 1948 when the export of banana related boom
started, the particular field or sector has continuously augmented in its size in Ecuador.
Hacienda Tenguel and the nearby Caao lands are considered as the origin of banana in
Ecuador in 1930 which was then converted into the nation's most contemporary banana
plantation place for that era (Lauderbaugh, George). The banana sector signified nearly sixty-
one percent of Ecuador's agricultural GDP in the year of 2009 and has continuously been
Ecuador's chief shipping product after petroleum (Van der Waal, and Moss. 986). In 2017 the
export has been declined, Ecuadorian shipped to the United States of America dropped by
31 percent in 2017, to 584 000 tonnes (Brisbois, Ben Wesley, Leila Harris, and Jerry M.
Spiegel, 61-81). The tariff rates decided beneath the Central American and Andean two-sided
contracts, for the moment, were condensed to EUR 89/tonne on first January 2018. Ecuador’s
banana region is vital for the national economy, occupation and the national trade balance.
Funds in the production region have touched a projected US$ 4 billion between area
implanted, infrastructure, storing facilities, and harbors. In total, nearly US$ 800 million
dollars have been financed in associated businesses counting cardboard boxing, plastics,
provisions, aerial disinfection, research facilities, national shipping, and others (Rana,
Gajendra Kumar, et al., 1827-1832). Ecuador’s economy is meaningfully dependent on
bananas production and export. Ecuador succeeds to export maximum of its bananas to
different countries. Transfers from Ecuador to the European Union are focused primarily in
the banana production sector, which signified 63.4 percent of these distributes in 2015
(Ministry of international trade).
Conclusion
Banana is one of the most beneficial fruit in relation to health and ranked fourth in the world
among all the food crops in all. There are many countries now exporting banana in the
international market. India and Ecuador are the topmost producers of these specific fruits.

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Today India is the largest producer with the 27,575, 000 tones banana production and
benefiting the economy positively. Although some researchers also criticize that the export is
very less compared to production. On the other hand, Ecuador has a great history of banana
production and was the top producer of banana from 1910 to 1950, although, the export of
banana was reduced in 2017. It can be concluded that both countries have done tremendous
work in banana production and gaining good economic benefits from this sector.

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References
Brisbois, Ben Wesley, Leila Harris, and Jerry M. Spiegel. "Political ecologies of global
health: pesticide exposure in southwestern Ecuador's banana industry." Antipode 50.1 (2018):
61-81.
Jacobsen, Kim, et al. "Seed degeneration of banana planting materials: Strategies for
improved farmer access to healthy seed." Plant Pathology 68.2 (2019): 207-228.
Landge, V. G., and S. G. Ingle. "Export performance of the banana in India." International
Research Journal of Agricultural Economics and Statistics 9.1 (2018): 72-76.
Lauderbaugh, George. The history of Ecuador. ABC-CLIO, 2012.
Ministry of international trade. Reports on Ecuador's banana Production. 2017.
http://japon.embajada.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Report-on-Ecuadors-Banana-
Sector-ING.pdf
Mohapatra, Debabandya, Sabyasachi Mishra, and Namrata Sutar. "BANANA POST
HARVEST PRACTICES: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS-A
REVIEW." Agricultural Reviews 31.1 (2010).
Rana, Gajendra Kumar, et al. "Potential Use of Banana and Its By-products: A Review." Int.
J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci 7.6 (2018): 1827-1832.
Sakamma, S., K. B. Umesh, and R. Rangegowda. "Resource use efficiency and externality
associated with banana production in Karnataka,(India)." (2018).
The Hindubusinessline. Going bananas: India’s export zooms 45 %. 2018.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/going-bananas-indias-export-
zooms-45/article7081746.ece