Honduran bananas have successfully entered the Russian and Ukrainian markets, in the context of the expansion and search for new markets, according to several producers.

"Everything indicates that, this year, the banana will be the second biggest generator of foreign currency, after coffee," said the president of the independent banana producers guild, Hector Castro.

"Things are getting interesting," he added, referring to a rebound in exports during the last quarter of 2018.

Foreign currency revenues from international sales of this fruit have improved compared to last year. Russian businessmen arrived in Honduras a few days ago to purchase bananas and to personally get to know the production process.

According to Hector Castro, a positive thing is that sales continue to grow in traditional markets, such as the United States and Central Europe.

He said he was satisfied because he could generate an enormous amount of foreign currency with only 13 hectares of bananas.

The goal for banana companies in general is to achieve exports worth 650 million dollars in 2018. "Russia alone consumes all the bananas we export in a year in just one week," Hector Castro said.

The income generated by banana exports, mainly to the United States, amounted to 348.4 million dollars until last August, i.e. 5.9 million dollars more than in the same period of last year. This increase in revenue was due to a higher sales price (+11.6%); as the volume exported decreased by 8.8 percent when compared to the same period of 2017 and stood at 1,881.6 thousand boxes of 40 pounds.