Costa Rica's banana exports plunge 20 percent due to extreme weather
Climate change is severely impacting Costa Rica's bananas. For the first half of 2025, the industry reported a year-over-year decrease of 20.67 percent in both fruit production and revenue.
The culprit, says Costa Rica’s National Banana Corporation (CORBANA), is the overaccumulation of moisture in the soil. According to the Banaclima meteorological monitoring platform, 1,500 millimeters of rain accumulated in just three months during the second half of 2024, resulting in soil saturation that persisted into the first months of 2025.
These conditions favored the proliferation of diseases such as Black Sigatoka, considered the main threat to Costa Rica's banana cultivation.
Erick Bolaños, Director of Technical Assistance at CORBANA, said that there were also specific and particularly damaging weather events. Such was the storm of August 14, when a trough affected the entire Caribbean region, accompanied by strong winds and rain.
Projections for Costa Rica's banana production in H2 2025
To reduce climate impact, CORBANA is providing technical assistance to reinforce phytosanitary measures and adopt agricultural practices that allow producers to confront Black Sigatoka.
The entity's general manager, Marcial Chaverri Rojas, stressed that the organization-provided support includes innovation and the development of new banana varieties that are resistant and well-adapted to the tropical climate.
For the second half of the year, the industry expects more encouraging forecasts, including a five percent reduction in the production deficit. The projection relies on favorable climatic conditions that prevent the development and spread of Black Sigatoka.
However, the industry is bracing itself for a 2026 with lower fruit availability compared to the average of previous years, which could imply adjustments in international banana prices.
* Photographs by CORBANA.
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