New Haven, Conn.-based Cedro Banana Distributors is celebrating its 100th anniversary, says Billy Mascari, who handles purchasing, sourcing, wholesale sales and business development for the fifth-generation, family-owned firm.
In addition to its extensive history in the business, the company continues to grow with the addition of 5,000 square feet of cooling space for its full line of tropical items.
“We picked up some more chain business,” Mascari says.
The firm recently picked up more business for its ripening program as well as tropical sales, he explains.
The company’s product line includes bananas, green and yellow plantains, mangoes, avocados, limes, and root items such as malanga, yuca and yams as well as potatoes and onions.
“We basically do it all,” Mascari says.
Though banana shipments were pretty steady as of early October, he says, the same couldn’t be said of plantains.
“Plantains are scarce from Ecuador,
so the plantain market is very high,” Mascari explains.
Besides tight supplies, costs have risen because of increased tariffs, he says.
A 15% tariff is now levied on product from Ecuador and Costa Rica; that’s up from 10%.
The price increase comes as demand picks up as weather cools and families begin to cook more and anticipate the holidays, he says.
Conditions are similar in Guatemala.
“It makes a strong market, but there’s limited supply,” Mascari says. “You don’t get to sell as much volume as you would like to, but the prices have increased.”
Some challenges exist in the banana market as well.
“Quality has been a little bit of an issue,” he says.
Some diseases, such as sigatoka, have hit some of the plantations in Ecuador.
