Food: towards an increase in the price of bananas

Easy to eat and take away, the banana is the second most sold fruit in France. More than 700,000 tonnes were consumed last year. But the price of bananas is rising: on a Parisian market, the kilo thus amounts to more than 2 euros, which discourages certain customers. A 20% increase is even expected next year, according to professionals.

This increase is primarily explained by the logistics of this exotic fruit. The banana spends at least five days in ripening rooms, i.e. rooms very cold energy guzzlers. “We pick up the fruits that are not completely ripe and then they ripen as close as possible to the store (…) in France”explains Yves Puget, editorial director of the magazine LSA. On arrival, we obtain very sweet fruits, but which cost more and more at produce, because the cost of energy is compounded by soaring cardboard and transport prices.