The banana is the fruit of the banana tree (Musa acuminata Colla), an evergreen and perennial plant, belonging to the Musaceae family, originally found in Asia and Africa.

Varieties
The most marketed variety is the Cavendish banana.  Size:  20 + cm

It has an elongated shape, with its external part (pericarp) made of a skin that is usually a green colour, which turns yellow when the fruit is ripe.

The internal part is the edible pulp, whitish and with a sweet and aromatic flavour.

Harvest
At the time of harvest a bunch of bananas can weigh 30 – 50 Kg.  The fruit can already be harvested only a year after planting the rhizomes; usually the bunches (which consist of up to 200 fruits) are picked in smaller bunches and the bananas are transported, while still green, by refrigerated ships where the temperature is kept constant.  Bananas are then artificially ripened in special ripening rooms:  their colour turns from green to the yellow that we commonly see on our tables and starches turn into sugars which give the ripe fruit its characteristic flavour.

Marketing season
Coming from tropical countries, the banana is readily available all the year round.  The most important commercial variety in international trade is the Cavendish, which comes mainly from South and Central America.

The largest banana producing countries are Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, China,  the Philippines.

World trade is, however, dominated by the exporting countries Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Philippines and Colombia .  In total these four countries account for about 2/3 of total world exports.

Packaging
The most commonly used packaging is the cardboard box containing about 18.40 kg  of bananas (about 20 kg gross).
Generally, when shipping palletized goods by container, there are 54 boxes per pallet (1080 boxes per container – 40” High Cube); or 48 boxes per pallet if transported underdeck..

If needed by customers in certain market areas, CO.MA.CO can pack its bananas in cardboard boxes containing about 13.50 kg  of bananas (about 14 kg gross).

The brands marketed by CO.MA.CO SpA
CO.MA.CO SpA is a leading player in the marketing of bananas, especially those from the countries of  South and Central America.  Our bananas are marketed mainly with the brands LE FRUIT D’OR, FORZA BANANA, BANANE C, CENTURY 21, AVANTI AND STAR.

In addition, CO.MA.CO supplies customers who operate with their own brands, such as DIAMANTE, MG, SABROSA,  to name just a few.

This is a customized service that only a well organized company like CO.MA.CO can offer to its clients. CO.MA.CO has an ever growing number of trade partners who can count on a quality product delivered with their own brand name.