La industria bananera colombiana : retos y oportunidades de mejora

Abstract

Banana is one of the most exported products, due to its high consumption. Therefore, banana has established as the fourth product worldwide, behind rice, wheat and corn. This implies great opportunities for the producing areas, usually favored by their equatorial climate. Even when climate conditions are ideal in Colombia, this is not reflected in the economic outcomes. In this study, the total values of banana exports and imports in Colombia have been documented through an RMR analysis. Results show that, despite favorable market conditions, RMR fluctuations are not an advantage for the exporting sector since banana producers must import agricultural supplies in similar ranges. This, as well as other conditions such as the disastrous lack of forecasting and planning at administrative levels, and technical weaknesses, imply small increases in the number of hectares dedicated to the activity, which leads to a low growth of the banana industry. It is concluded that the implementation of some strategies in the form of public policies, such as value chains implementation, national branding, the subsidy for the purchase of supplies, and especially import protection policies (where it is caused by increases on the return scales), they could help keep crops at competitive levels in relation to cost and market, whilst minimizing losses in periods of both endogenous and exogenous crisis.