Côte d'Ivoire dominates the fresh pineapple trade. The export of pineapple products began during Côte d'Ivoire's colonial period, when two processing plants were established with foreign help.[1]
Contents |
When Côte d'Ivoire gained independence, the export of pineapple products was less than half that of banana products.[1] During the 1960s and 1970s, exports grew steadily, and by the early 1970s, the number of pineapple exports had surpassed the number of banana exports.[1] In the 1980s, Thailand began competing with Côte d'Ivoire, pushing world prices downward.[1] Economic reforms in Côte d'Ivoire reduced subsidies for several state enterprises and closed others, including Corfruitel, the parastatal in charge of marketing fruits, such as pineapples.[1] At this time, most pineapple exports were canned pineapples or pineapple juice.[1] For the reasons highlighted above, exports of these two products had practically disappeared by 1990.[1]
At this time, much of the Ivorian pineapple industry switched over to fresh pineapple.[1] In a very advantageous move, it exported these to Europe by sea-freight, using the same refrigerated freighters used for bananas.[1] Côte d'Ivoire once quasi-monopolised the world market on fresh pineapples, although it no longer enjoys that status once Costa Rica, Honduras, Ghana and other suppliers began developing their share of the industry.[2]
Côte d'Ivoire is Europe's leading pineapple source, supplying over 200,000 tons of fresh fruit a year, or 60% of the European market.[3] On the world scale, Côte d'Ivoire is second only to Costa Rica.[2] Combined, the two produce over 50% on the world's pineapples.[2]
The Société fruitière du Bandama company created the popular drink Cristelor in 1983.[4] Described as a delice d'ananas petillant, ("sparkling pineapple delight"), it is popularly called "pineapple champagne".[4] The company's director, Jean Konan Banny, claimed the idea "came to [him when he thought] to make a wine from pineapples" and was named after his granddaughter, Cristel. He also proposed an alcoholic version of the drink.[4]
In 1987, scientists at the Institute of Research on Energy Renewal (IREN) studied how to create ethanol from pineapples in Côte d'Ivoire.[5]
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||