If you have paid attention, you may find that the bananas sold in large supermarkets are basically imported. The most common ones are from the Philippines, Ecuador, etc. There are basically no domestically produced bananas. In fact, my country’s banana production is not low. Data shows thatIn 2024, my country's domestic banana production will reach 11.7597 million tons, accounting for 78.5% of the domestic apparent consumption of 14.989 million tons, a proper main force.
So why can’t we see them in supermarkets? This is because the core demands of the business models of large supermarkets and online platforms are “year-round stability and uniform quality.”
The main producing countries of imported bananas are located in tropical areas with abundant light and heat and few climate disasters. With full cold chain transportation, they can achieve continuous supply for 365 days. They also have strict standards from picking, grading to packaging, which is more in line with the quality pursuit of consumers in large supermarkets.
The main domestic banana production areas are located in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan, and the supply is obviously seasonal. If a supermarket only connects to a single production area, it will need to frequently change planting bases, which will not only drive up procurement costs, but also make it more difficult to meet the requirement of "constant supply throughout the year."
also,Domestic bananas also face threats such as typhoons and cold waves, which further affect the stability of supply. Large supermarkets are not willing to gamble on these risks.
However, during the large-scale marketing season, domestic bananas have the advantage of low cost due to short transportation distance and no need for cold chain. The price is more competitive and can even be 1 yuan cheaper per catty than imported bananas. This makes them popular in small supermarkets, vegetable markets, and fruit shops at your doorstep.
Not only that, but what you may not expect is that in the commercial catering field, such as KFC, Heytea, etc., the proportion of domestic bananas used is as high as 83.5%!
