"The banana has become Honduras second most important agricultural export, after the problems that Ecuador, which is the main producer of this fruit in the world, has faced," stated producer Hector Castro.

The boom in Honduran exports is partly due to the decrease in Ecuadors production and also because of the current increase in consumption, especially in European countries.

Hector Castro said all these factors had favored the growth of the countrys banana activity, and that the increase in demand had also helped improve prices.

The national producer also said the country should establish conditions or policies for banana production.

Banana prices in Europe stand at € 18 per box, while in the United States they range from $12 to $14 dollars.

This year, the country is expected to export some 600 million dollars in bananas, a remarkable amount as the country only has 13 thousand hectares devoted to this crop.