For many Americans, Christmas is the biggest day of the year. For others, it's the 4th of July or Halloween. For accountants, it's Tax Day; for teachers, it's the start of summer vacation. But for the tens of thousands of fresh fruit farmers, marketers, shippers, and specialists at Dole Food Company, the brand behind the world's best-selling DOLE® Banana, National Banana Day on April 17 is the most significant annual cause for celebration.

Ane Mærsk, the world's first sizeable methanol-fuelled container ship operated by A.P. Moller–Merks, docked at EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH) on Thursday, March 28. The vessel, measuring 350 meters in length and 53.5 meters in width, has a capacity of up to 16,000 TEU. It is the first in a series of 18 methanol-capable ships, with capacities ranging between 16,000 and 17,000 standard containers (TEU), to be delivered to Maersk in 2024 and 2025.

Fresh Del Monte Produce has been named to Newsweek's list of the World's Most Trusted Companies for the third consecutive year. In 2024, the fresh produce distributor and marketer achieved the No. 8 rank in the Food and Beverage category, reflecting the trust of consumers, investors, and employees.

A delegation of 25 Filipino companies collectively secured approximately $133 million in export sales at the "Gulfood" expo, which took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from February 19 to 23 this year. According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)—Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the group's export sales consist of booked orders and sales under negotiation.

This month, just over five years after operations began in 2018, APM Terminals Moin (TCM) has handled more than 6 million containers. During this period, container volumes have increased from just over 1 million TEUs in 2019 to 1.26 million TEUs in 2023. The average number of vessels calling at the terminal each month has also increased from 12 in 2018 to more than 89 in 2023—up to three times higher than other ports in the region.

Javier Bereche, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Piura (CAMCO), expressed his concern about the considerable decrease in exports of grapes, mangoes, bananas, and coffee, among other products. In response to this situation, he asked the Executive and the Congress of the Republic to intervene to rescue this sector, proposing the rescheduling of the terms of the loans due to farmers, the activation of the Reactiva credits and the implementation of the Agrarian Development Law.

In 2023, the Canary Islands' banana industry reached a historic high, with island producers marketing a record 440,000 tons. However, this achievement is overshadowed by challenges, primarily competition from imported bananas. According to Asprocan, the Association of Organizations of Banana Producers of the Canary Islands, these imports compete under more favourable rules and act as a distribution brand, driving prices down.

Agricultural experts at the Royal Razat Farm in Salalah, under the auspices of Royal Court Affairs, have achieved a significant breakthrough in banana cultivation. They have successfully bred a new variety of banana, which originated from a spontaneous genetic mutation within a field of Williams variety bananas.

In week 12, banana selling prices in St. Petersburg ranged from USD 16.95 to 19.70 per box CIF, depending on the brand, quality, and type of packing. Prices were unstable across most regions of the Russian Federation due to weak demand and challenging sales. Local traders attributed the market turbulence to events in February, which saw the import prohibition for five Ecuadorean companies. This led to delays in phytosanitary control ,discharge at the St. Petersburg port and backlogs in delivery,the Ramadan period, fluctuating prices at origin in Ecuador, and the unusual import of larger volumes of bananas from countries like Egypt, China, and India contributed to the fall in selling prices. According to local traders, imports might be slow in the coming weeks until the market recovers. Approximately 1.73 million boxes were discharged in week 12, and nearly 3.2 million boxes are expected for week 13. Due to the huge volumes expected for the next week, the market is anticipated to weaken further. The exchange rate was 1 USD = 91.95 RUB.

The Colombian Agricultural Institute (I.C.A.) has enacted the National Plan for the Prevention, Surveillance, and Control of Foc TR4 across the entire national territory, per resolution 2081 of 2024. This initiative aims to shield and bolster Colombia's banana and plantain sector against Foc TR4, a substantial phytosanitary threat capable of causing plant death and jeopardizing the country's food security.

The viability of inexpensive supermarket bananas is at risk as climate change and increasing costs endanger banana farmers’ capacity to sustain their operations. Fairtrade advocates have cautioned that the present situation is untenable and cannot persist. Anna Pierides, the Fairtrade Foundation’s Senior Manager for Responsible Business in the Banana Sector, has called on the UK banana industry to lead the transition towards more sustainable supply chains.

The Department of Agriculture's regional office (DA-11) has allocated PHP14.4 million for rehabilitation projects to aid banana farmers in two provinces in the Davao Region, Davao del Norte, and Davao de Oro, affected by Fusarium wilt. The funding will be distributed through the respective provincial governments' Quick Response Fund. The project, "Kaagapay sa Malambuong Pagpanaging", or "a companion to prosperous banana farming," aims to rehabilitate at least 138.5 hectares of banana areas impacted by Fusarium wilt, benefiting 225 farmers in the two provinces.

On March 20, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) and the U.S.U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (C.B.P.) updated regulations for fresh banana and plantain imports. This update will broaden the Risk-Based Sampling at Ports of Entry (RBS POE) program for these imports.

In February 2024, the Peruvian banana sector exported 15,500 tons, representing an increase of +11.2% compared to the same month of the previous year. However, this figure slightly decreased by 4% compared to January 2024. Peruvian banana exports were distributed to 14 different destinations.

President Gustavo Petro criticized the businesspeople of the banana sector in Antioquia, alleging that they had harmed the territory. He asked the businesspeople of the guild to support the subregion, arguing that they have used the water of the Urabá for decades, obtaining economic gains without giving any compensation.