Russian retail chains have encountered difficulties in purchasing bananas. This is reported by “Kommersant”.
Among them are a poor harvest in Ecuador, the inability of importers to ensure the required volumes of supplies, as well as seasonal high demand. Another factor was the fact that in the port of St. Petersburg now several vessels with fruit cannot stand for unloading.
Company officials say the situation could improve within a few weeks. They also reassured that end customers should not expect an increase in prices, since bananas are “one of the marker positions by which shoppers generally assess the price level in a store.”
In September 2020, El Comercio newspaper warned that a banana shortage could begin in the world due to the eruption of the Sangay volcano in Ecuador. Due to volcanic activity, fruit exports can collapse by 25-30 percent – this is equivalent to one and a half million boxes. Then, due to heavy ash emissions, at least 83 thousand hectares of land were affected, including the province where bananas are grown.
It became known earlier that bananas, granulated sugar and potatoes were the most popular products among Russians. However, in some Russian regions there were exceptions to the rule. So, in the North-Western Federal District, most often they bought a sliced loaf in stores, and in the North-Caucasian Federal District, mayonnaise entered the top three most popular purchases.