Banane Guadeloupe

Glossary

The banana is an important fruit for Guadeloupe, as it is the most widely cultivated and most exported agricultural product by volume. It is therefore a major element of the Guadeloupean economy, also providing many jobs (around 12,000). In 2005, production was nearly 62,000 tons, of which 52,000 tons were exported, far from the authorized quota of 150,000 tons. Exports mainly supply American and European markets. In Guadeloupe, banana plantations account for 10% of agricultural land. 80% of the farms are located in the south of Basse-Terre and on the Côte-au-Vent. Guadeloupe brings together all the conditions needed for banana production: warm temperatures all year round, high ambient humidity and volcanic soil, enough to give bananas exceptional organoleptic qualities.

Present since the 19th century in Guadeloupe, the banana plant was initially used as a shade plant for cocoa and coffee crops. Several events imposed banana cultivation: the destruction of cocoa and coffee plantations following the 1928 hurricane, the sugar cane crisis in the 1970s and facilitated maritime trade with France.

Currently, banana production experiences uncertainties; it is first of all dependent on the climate, and must face strong competition from Latin American countries where production costs are much lower.

Several varieties of bananas are grown in Guadeloupe, such as "poyo", plantain, figue sucrée or banane pomme, for example.

If you want to know everything about the banana, you can visit the Maison de la Banane located in Trois-Rivières.

In Bélair, every year, the Grand café plantation, which is indeed a banana plantation, celebrates the Fête de la banane, where you can discover many banana-based products: liqueur, sweets, cakes, macarons, chips, essential oils or even vinegar, and local artisans will craft decorations and objects for you from banana leaves.

Photo : Langladure — CC BY-SA 4.0