Demand tipped to heat up as weather cools

TULLY banana grower Stephen Lowe is hoping consumers will put chocolate down and start filling up on the Far North’s iconic yellow fruit again.

Demand for bananas has lowered in the past two months, especially during Easter, but the Australian Banana Growers Council chairman is anticipating a return to normal buying behaviour in coming weeks.

“The industry has been operating with very low margins and below cost of production, which is never good for any agricultural industry,” he said.

“Easter is traditionally a fairly poor demand time of the year. Short weeks don’t help and the public seems to get out of their normal buying routine.

“Any school holidays you don’t sell many bananas.”

Woolworths and Coles are selling the cavendish variety at $3/kg and lady fingers for $7/ kg.

Mr Lowe has a 141ha banana plantation along the Tully River. He shifts up to 7000 bananas every week to markets in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Winter traditionally sees higher demand for bananas due to less competition from tropical and citrus fruits.

Mr Lowe said the low prices would have hurt some farmers.

“Fortunately in the past two weeks supply has decreased and prices have actually gone up,” he said.

“We will see a positive trend for the next two to three weeks and then it will depend what sort of winter we get after that.”

Queensland DAF banana scientist Stewart Lindsay said most growers hoped for a cooler and drier winter to help ease supply.

“In warm winters, the fruit grows very quickly and we end up with an oversupply situation,” he said.