After a drop in plantain sales in 2005 because of floods in the Caribbean zone two years ago, Costa Rica’s plantain exports have recovered with a booming 129% growth last year.
Costa Rica sold nearly 35,000 tons of plantains last year, equal to $13.8 million, nearly three-fourths of which went to the United States, according to a National Production Council (CNP) study.
Given that no further weather disasters are expected this season, plantain exports are expected to continue growing to 40,000 tons this year, the daily La Nación reported.
In December 2004 and January 2005, record-breaking rainfall engorged rivers and flooded towns throughout eastern Costa Rica, causing four deaths and forcing more than 8,500 people into temporary shelters (TT, Jan 14, 2005). Some 3,000 hectares of crops, mostly banana and plantain fields, suffered heavy losses as well. Plantain exports subsequently dropped in half.
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