The DREM said that, according to data provided by the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, 20,200 tonnes of bananas were sold in 2021, 1,000 tonnes less than in 2020.

Among the different types of banana traded, the 2nd category was the only one to grow in 2021, when compared to 2020 (+3.8 percent), as the extra category and 1st category retreated by 5.0 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.

"Of the total bananas marketed in the year under review, 84.6 percent were shipped (85.1 percent in 2020), with the main destination being the mainland," says the regional authority, indicating that extra category bananas represented 80.2 percent of the total marketed (80.5 percent in 2020), reaching 16,200 tonnes.

September was the month of 2021 in which the highest quantity of bananas traded was registered (2.4 thousand tons) and February was the month of least abundance of the product (885.4 tons).

According to the DREM, the months of November and April recorded the highest year-on-year increase (+15.0 percent and +11.1 percent, respectively).

On the other hand, January and July recorded the most significant monthly year-on-year falls in banana sales (-17.8 percent and -15.9 percent, in that order).