Canarian bananas on sale in the UK

[Janet]

As tourism numbers fluctuate, with some sources saying they've increased and others that they've plummeted, and certainly as Tenerife suffers from excessive air charges, Iberia strikes, and the general economic woes of Europe, let alone Spain, there are some here who fortell that the Canarian economy will have to diversify. Some say that oil will be the saviour, though that is disputed by those who warn of the dangers of a catastrophic oil spill, while others say the Canaries will have to "go back" to the bananas ...

Well, maybe bananas are a way forward too, and certainly Asda will be the first to sell Canarian bananas. The supermarket says that it wishes to reduce the banana's carbon footprint, and will therefore ditch its central American imports in favour of our own platanos. Bananas will be shipped to the mainland and then taken by road to British  ripening centres, the journey taking just four days compared with twenty four for central American produce, a cut in transportation time of over 80%. . A further bonus is that the fruit will also be fresher when it reaches British stores.

Asda says that it has been working with importers IPL and Fyffes, under whose label our bananas will be sold at £1.50 for a bunch of six: they are already on trial in over 230 Asda stores. It appears that this is the first time Canarian bananas will have been exported to the UK. Let's hope that the trial is successful, and that many other supermarkets follow Asda's lead. If so, the banana can resume its place as an economic motor for the islands, along with oil, maybe ... and perhaps the uncertainties of the tourism economy might be a little less make or break in the future. JA

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Well, I don't think our plátanos are as good as the ones from the Caribbean....   

[Janet]

agreed ... far starchier and softer ... 

[Perikles]

agreed... and much smaller too. I think they are disgusting.

[Michael]

I'm off to Asda.