Traders attribute this trend in consumer demand to the high quality of Ecuadorian bananas and their packaging, despite the higher prices compared to local bananas, which have suffered a decline in demand, causing significant losses to some farms, which have asked for greater support and protection.
The secretary of the fruit and vegetables division of the Chamber of Commerce in Cairo said that this growth of imported bananas is taking place despite their higher price, which ranges between 12 and 15 pounds per kilo, compared to the 3 to 6 pounds of the local fruit.
For his part, Mohammed Abdalrady, owner of a banana plantation, explained that Ecuadorian bananas have arrived in the governorates of Aswan and Luxor, which are famous for the cultivation of the fruit, pointing to a decline in the sale and purchase of the local produce because of the better taste and shape of imported bananas.
Abdalrady added that the majority of consumers prefer to buy Ecuador's bananas because they are "fit for a gift" or for celebrations, pointing out that this could spell the end of banana cultivation in some areas.
