According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Colombia is now the third-largest banana exporter in the world, surpassing the Philippines. Last year, Colombia exported 2.31 million metric tons (MMT) of bananas, 29,000 metric tons more than the Philippines' 2.28 MMT.

Thenor Velásquez, the manager of the Association of Banana Producers of Honduras, reported on February 21 that banana production has significantly declined due to reductions in production areas and consecutive floods—currently, the harvest yields between 2,500 and 2,800 boxes per hectare. "This reduction has led to a drastic increase in market prices, with bananas now costing up to three lempiras each, compared to three bananas for one lempira previously," he stated.

This winter, the Dalian Container Terminal (DCT) received its first shipment of imported cherries from Chile, which arrived aboard the refrigerated vessel Baltic Performer. This marks the first time cherries have been imported directly by ship to this port in northeastern China. The direct route with specialised reefer ships shortens the journey by about a week compared to traditional routes that involve stops.

The ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana hosted a three-day program titled "Exposure Visit Under Capacity Building for Adoption of Banana Technology" for farmers of the Nanminda Cooperative Society in Kozhikode district, Kerala, from January 8 to 10, 2025—the initiative aimed to introduce advanced banana cultivation technologies for domestic and export markets. Dr R. Selvarajan, Director of ICAR-NRCB, underscored the need to conserve the local landraces of Malabar bananas and highlighted the Centre's efforts in developing over 45 value-added products.

More than 28 tons of cocaine was found last year in a record haul for the UK Border Force and police. The amount of the class-A drugs seized rose by 52 per cent from the year before to the highest level ever recorded. The country's most significant capture of such narcotics took place in February when 5.7 tons of cocaine was found in a container at Southampton Port - hidden in a cargo of bananas from South America. This single haul is estimated to be worth more than £450million. The domestic cocaine market is dominated by gangs, which the National Crime Agency believes are making around £ 4 billion a year.

The Canary Islands are harvesting the hope and hard work of a farmer who has restored his crop on the volcano's lava flows over the past three years," reports Europlátano in a press release. "In September 2021, the lives of thousands of families on the island of La Palma were disrupted by the volcanic eruption that destroyed homes, schools, farms, and the livelihoods of many residents. Today, we are taking another small step towards the reconstruction of the Aridane Valley with the harvest of the first crop from a farm rebuilt on the lava flow," it emphasises.

In week 03, approximately 2.17 million boxes of bananas were discharged in St. Petersburg, which was considered a significant volume given the weak demand following the long holiday period. The primary prices ranged from USD 16.70 to 17.65 per box CIF depending on the brand, volume, and packaging. The expected volume for week 04 is 1.35 million boxes. As for the exchange rate, it stood at 102.38 RUB to the US Dollar. The Russian Ruble has experienced notable fluctuations over the past weeks. As of January 17, 2025, the Ruble traded at approximately 102.47 to the US Dollar, marking a slight improvement from its lowest point of 115 to the US Dollar on January 1, 2025. However, it has recently been weakening again. Various factors, including sanctions, inflationary pressures, and economic policies, have affected the value of the Ruble. Selling prices for Ecuadorean bananas in the Mediterranean ranged from USD 14.00 to USD 15.00 per-box, cost, insurance, and freight (CIF). In Libya, however, prices were higher at USD 16.00 per-box CIF for Ecuadorean bananas. For Central American bananas, the prices were approximately USD 14.00 per box CIF.

On January 16, the "Guayaquil Banana Gateway" refrigerated warehouses were inaugurated at Contecon's Pier No. 5 in the Maritime Port of Guayaquil. These state-of-the-art facilities will store perishable products requiring refrigeration before loading as part of Cool Carriers' exclusive premium service. During the inauguration ceremony, Nikolay Pavlyuchenko, General Manager of UNIREEFER, the General Agent of Cool Carriers in Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina, spoke about the Company's journey:

Hapag-Lloyd has reached a significant milestone by delivering its 300th vessel, making it the largest fleet in the Company's history since its founding in 1847. This achievement solidifies its position as the fifth-largest container shipping company. The newly chartered vessel, Nordatlantic, has a capacity of 24,480 deadweight tons (dwt). It is not the largest in the fleet. Still, it is joined by two sister ships, Nordbaltic and Nordpuma, which Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co. is building.

Maersk has announced it will redirect its MECL Service route from Spain's Port of Algeciras to Morocco's Tanger Med Port, representing a significant transformation in Mediterranean maritime logistics. According to Spanish media reports, the change will take effect from February 24, when the Maersk Atlanta 509W makes its first call at the new rotation. The MECL service connects India, Pakistan, and the Middle East with the United States East Coast and will no longer stop at Algeciras on its westbound journey.

Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has delivered the first 16,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership ordered by Minsheng Financial Leasing (MSFL) on behalf of Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). According to the shipbuilder, the MSC Viola vessel was delivered 172 days ahead of schedule on January 9, 2025, at its Tianjin shipyard.

Peru's banana exports in November 2024 totalled 11,315 tons, worth USD 9.6 million, marking an increase of 8% in volume and 4% in value compared to the same month of the previous year. These positive results have surpassed the cumulative total for the entire year 2023 (January-November), reporting shipments of 148,526 tons (+7%) for USD 130.6 million (+12%). In November this year, 95% of bananas were fresh and 5% processed. Export logistics were mainly channelled through Terminales Portuarios Euroandinos – Paita, which managed 97% of shipments, followed by DP World with 2%.

In St. Petersburg, banana prices during the first week of January ranged from USD 17.30 to 17.80 per box CIF according to brand, volume and packing. The demand was sluggish due to the extended holiday, which concluded on January 8. This prolonged break led to decreased demand and, consequently, lower prices compared to the previous week. The exchange rate stood at 1 USD = 101.68 RUB. In the Mediterranean, Ecuadorean bananas were sold at prices ranging from approximately USD 14.50 to 15.50 per box CIF, influenced by brand, weight, volume, region, and packaging factors.Prices in Algeria were higher than other markets and traders were able to achieve USD 24.0-25.0 per box CIF. Central and Southern American Bananas were priced around USD 1 lower per box. In th Mersin Free Zone, Ecuadorean bananas were re-exported to neighbouring countries and sold for about USD 15.00 to 16.50 per box, while Central American bananas were priced USD 1.00 to 2.00 lower per box. Volumes were lower than the previous week, but demand from neighbouring countries, except Iran, increased. The exchange rate was 1 USD = 35.36 TL.

Based on current figures, banana producers in Paraguay expect to end 2024 with approximately USD 31 million in export revenues. Hugo Franco, a banana producer, confirmed that considering the numbers obtained throughout 2024, expectations for the end of the year in terms of the export of this fruit are encouraging. Franco explained in an interview with the GEN channel that, according to data from the Exporter's Single Window, exports had reached just over USD 28 million in revenue by the end of November.

According to Adama Dabo, the head of the "Women and Resilient Agriculture" (FAR) project, the project has invested approximately 1 billion CFA francs in essential infrastructure to boost banana production in Senegal in the Sédhiou region (south). "With an investment of around 1 billion CFA francs, the Women and Resilient Agriculture project has developed essential infrastructure to support local agriculture," said Mr Dabo. He noted that five market garden blocks have been equipped and fenced, with boreholes and pumping equipment installed. This allows for efficient water management and protection against wandering animals.