Banana production in Brazil facts for kids
Brazil is a huge player in the world of bananas! About 10% of all bananas grown globally come from Brazil. This makes Brazil one of the top banana-producing countries. Over the years, Brazil has grown more and more bananas. For example, they grew 5.4 million tons in 1997, and by 2007, it was almost 7 million tons!
In 2000, Brazil was the fourth biggest banana grower. Only India, Uganda, and Ecuador grew more. But by 2006, Brazil moved up to second place! Only India grew more bananas than Brazil. Most of the bananas grown in Brazil are eaten right there by people in Brazil.
Brazil also sells some bananas to other countries. In 1995, they exported about 12.5 thousand tons. By 2002 and 2003, this grew to over 220 thousand tons! Most of these bananas go to nearby countries like Argentina and Uruguay. However, countries like Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Philippines, and Colombia export much more, often over a million tons each year.
Where Bananas Grow in Brazil
Brazil grows different kinds of bananas. These include the popular Cavendish type, which you often see in stores. They also grow "apple" bananas and other fruit bananas.
The main area for growing bananas in Brazil is the southeastern state of São Paulo. This state produces about 16.4% of all Brazilian bananas. This information comes from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Other important places where bananas are grown include:
- Prata in North-East Brazil
- Belo Horizonte
- Vitoria
- Rio de Janeiro
- Florianópolis
In 2004, Brazil produced 6.6 million tons of bananas. This was worth more than 1 billion US dollars!
Protecting Bananas from Diseases
Scientists in Brazil are working hard to make banana production even better. They want to grow more bananas and make sure they are good quality. A big part of their work is making bananas stronger against diseases.
One serious disease is called black sigatoka. This disease caused big problems for banana farms in the Amazon region. Since 2002, a special program has helped control this disease.
Brazil also has a "Banana Genome Program." This program studies the genetic makeup of bananas. It gets help from experts in countries like France, Belgium, the UK, Japan, and the Czech Republic.
Scientists are also creating new types of bananas that can resist diseases. For example, they developed a banana called Pacovan Ken. This banana can fight off yellow and black sigatoka, and also Panama disease. Pacovan Ken was released in November 2001. It was named after a scientist named Kenneth Shepherd.
