The Banasan International Trader headquartered in Santa Marta (Colombia) closed 2021 with revenues that amounted to more than half a billion pesos. 80% of them corresponded to exports, with about 13 million boxes of bananas shipped, and the remaining 20% to other services provided by the company that focused on meeting the needs of the industry’s value chain.
The most outstanding investments made by the company in 2021 include the adaptation of a container yard, the modernization of their security area, and the acquisition of chassis for more than 4,500 million pesos. Likewise, the company began the construction of a banana flour factory with the aim of generating value for the product that is not suitable for export. The factory will be inaugurated this year.
Last year, the firm also exported nearly 100 containers of plantain and 20 containers of avocado for the first time. It was also reviewed by Great Place to Work, which certified it at the beginning of January 2022.
The marketer carried out social responsibility projects through the Banasan Foundation and programs to improve the quality of life and promote the development of communities that benefited more than 8,600 people in 2021. One of these projects, the ‘Building Dreams’ initiative, allowed the company to improve 53 homes of rural families; construct a school canteen in the township of Palomar and reconstruct the school canteen of the IED Humberto Velasquez Garcia school in the township of Seville.
The company also worked on a project against malnutrition in four communities of the Banana Zone Municipality and the strengthening of training schools in music, art, sports, as well as programs for the prevention of early pregnancy, and drug prevention. In addition, they implemented health brigades to reduce the impact of Covid-19 in the area, among other education, income generation, culture, and environmental programs.
The company and its allies, such as the European fruit importer and the Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn, invested nearly $2,000 million pesos to carry out these actions.
Regarding the company’s projections for 2022, the president of CI Banasan, Edgar Chalhoub, stated: “This year we expect to have sales close to $600,000 million pesos and increase our exports to 15 million boxes of bananas.”
Source: eje21.com.co