Post offices and bananas

Akula · 03-08-2018, 11:51 PM

Visited the post office to mail a letter and bought some stamps. It costs 50 cents to send a letter domestically. It costs 35 cents to send a postcard domestically. I then went to Publix supermarket and while going through the fruit section noticed that bananas all the way from Honduras cost 69 cents per lb.

Couple items came to mind:

1. How much does it cost to produce a banana in Honduras?
2. Anybody have the cost buildup from Honduras to the retail price of 69 cents per lb?
3. With ideal growing conditions (temp and rain), is it really possible to produce bananas commercially in the US to compete against imports?
4. We need to hire the guys, who run the banana industry, to run the US post office.

edwmax · 03-09-2018, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akula

Visited the post office to mail a letter and bought some stamps. It costs 50 cents to send a letter domestically. It costs 35 cents to send a postcard domestically. I then went to Publix supermarket and while going through the fruit section noticed that bananas all the way from Honduras cost 69 cents per lb.

Couple items came to mind:

1. How much does it cost to produce a banana in Honduras?
2. Anybody have the cost buildup from Honduras to the retail price of 69 cents per lb?
3. With ideal growing conditions (temp and rain), is it really possible to produce bananas commercially in the US to compete against imports?
4. We need to hire the guys, who run the banana industry, to run the US post office.

The banana plantations are company owned and/or contracted (Chiquita, Del Monte, Dole, Fyffes, National Companies}. I believe they also own their own ships (most anyways) to transport bananas to the foreign markets.

I can agree with number 4 in principle, but the Banana Co would import a large number of green card immigrants to run the Post office and then pocket all the money they saved. ... Pres. Trump will not like it or allow it.

john_ny · 03-09-2018, 08:56 PM

Bananas, locally, are .49 (sometimes .39) Whenever I have visited Florida, I found Publix to be expensive. I haven't sent a letter recently, (do everything on the internet)but you have a point.

geissene · 03-11-2018, 08:15 AM

Bananas are only delivered to grocery stores and their box size / weight doesn't really change much.

The US mail, delivers to your door items of various shapes and weights.

It might be impossible to compete at the same price if you want daily bananas delivered to your mailbox along with letters...

But its a good thought!

edwmax · 03-11-2018, 01:24 PM

To answer #2 ... The Banana Cos together control the prices. While the Companies compete against each other, but still prices are set by "supply & demand". The companies have the supply, and demand as much as they can get.

to answer #3: Yes ... It has been tried several time in Florida on a large scale. However, there may still be a few smaller operations making a living by selling at the Framers Markets.

bushwack · 03-11-2018, 04:20 PM

found them for .11 cents a pound in S E Missouri here the other day

Akula · 03-11-2018, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bushwack

found them for .11 cents a pound in S E Missouri here the other day

Where they about to go bad? Probably a cost leader type promotion in the Supermarket.

I guess if you are a US banana producer you have to come to the market with something that the Big Boys don't offer. Take a page out of the Craft Brew Industry and create some buzz with interesting varieties that are more difficult to ship long distances in order to capture premium prices. Identify the premium market/demand and work back to production. No way to compete on price with Big Banana.

cincinnana · 03-12-2018, 06:51 PM

sputinc7 · 03-12-2018, 08:02 PM

I am amazed there is no company around doing "craft" bananas... Selling them over the internet even... I know a couple fruit companies are offering a few kinds, but their prices are so high they aren't getting around to too many people. Teach people what Gros Michel bananas are and they will pay premium prices for them. If I still lived in Illinois where there is no way I could grow my own, I would pay $2 a pound, maybe more to have them on occasion. (I am in Florida and still would..Other varieties as well.) Florida / Caribbean won't work, with the hurricanes and all. No way to have a reliable source... Great idea for someone with the capital and connections to think about.

cincinnana · 03-12-2018, 08:11 PM

Akula · 03-12-2018, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sputinc7

I am amazed there is no company around doing "craft" bananas... Selling them over the internet even... I know a couple fruit companies are offering a few kinds, but their prices are so high they aren't getting around to too many people. Teach people what Gros Michel bananas are and they will pay premium prices for them. If I still lived in Illinois where there is no way I could grow my own, I would pay $2 a pound, maybe more to have them on occasion. (I am in Florida and still would..Other varieties as well.) Florida / Caribbean won't work, with the hurricanes and all. No way to have a reliable source... Great idea for someone with the capital and connections to think about.

After reading your comment I found a company out of Miami called "Miami Fruit". They sell various locally grown fruit over the Internet at $100 to $200 for a 15lb box delivered by post. That's expensive!

https://www.miamifruit.org/collectio...ana-pre-orders

sputinc7 · 03-12-2018, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akula

After reading your comment I found a company out of Miami called "Miami Fruit". They sell various locally grown fruit over the Internet at $100 to $200 for a 15lb box delivered by post. That's expensive!

https://www.miamifruit.org/collectio...ana-pre-orders

Yep, that is one of them... outrageously expensive... 2-3 bucks a lb plus shipping, ok... Those prices, they should be ashamed, or arrested.

Cinn, please elaborate...

bananimal · 07-09-2018, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akula

Visited the post office to mail a letter and bought some stamps. It costs 50 cents to send a letter domestically. It costs 35 cents to send a postcard domestically. I then went to Publix supermarket and while going through the fruit section noticed that bananas all the way from Honduras cost 69 cents per lb.

Couple items came to mind:

1. How much does it cost to produce a banana in Honduras?
2. Anybody have the cost buildup from Honduras to the retail price of 69 cents per lb?
3. With ideal growing conditions (temp and rain), is it really possible to produce bananas commercially in the US to compete against imports?
4. We need to hire the guys, who run the banana industry, to run the US post office.

I just sent a letter to my buddy in Texas. Stamp was 50 cents. WTH????

03-08-2018, 11:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Akula Location: Pensacola, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9a Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 1,236 BananaBucks : 76,060 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,539 Times Was Thanked 2,381 Times in 809 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 128 Times	Post offices and bananas Visited the post office to mail a letter and bought some stamps. It costs 50 cents to send a letter domestically. It costs 35 cents to send a postcard domestically. I then went to Publix supermarket and while going through the fruit section noticed that bananas all the way from Honduras cost 69 cents per lb. Couple items came to mind: 1. How much does it cost to produce a banana in Honduras? 2. Anybody have the cost buildup from Honduras to the retail price of 69 cents per lb? 3. With ideal growing conditions (temp and rain), is it really possible to produce bananas commercially in the US to compete against imports? 4. We need to hire the guys, who run the banana industry, to run the US post office.

03-09-2018, 08:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
john_ny Member john_ny's Photo Gallery Location: Staten Island, NY - southernmost county in NY State. Find me on the map! Zone: USDA7- Sunset34 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,014 BananaBucks : 625,132 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,057 Times Was Thanked 2,284 Times in 832 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 37 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas Bananas, locally, are .49 (sometimes .39) Whenever I have visited Florida, I found Publix to be expensive. I haven't sent a letter recently, (do everything on the internet)but you have a point. __________________ John

03-11-2018, 08:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
geissene Location: Pennsylvania Zone: 6 Name: Erik Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 489 BananaBucks : 102,946 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 301 Times Was Thanked 983 Times in 317 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas Bananas are only delivered to grocery stores and their box size / weight doesn't really change much. The US mail, delivers to your door items of various shapes and weights. It might be impossible to compete at the same price if you want daily bananas delivered to your mailbox along with letters... But its a good thought!

03-11-2018, 01:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 92,218 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,740 Times Was Thanked 4,437 Times in 2,093 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas To answer #2 ... The Banana Cos together control the prices. While the Companies compete against each other, but still prices are set by "supply & demand". The companies have the supply, and demand as much as they can get. to answer #3: Yes ... It has been tried several time in Florida on a large scale. However, there may still be a few smaller operations making a living by selling at the Framers Markets. __________________

03-11-2018, 04:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
bushwack Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 211 BananaBucks : 31,003 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 249 Times in 93 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 26 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas found them for .11 cents a pound in S E Missouri here the other day

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03-12-2018, 06:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
cincinnana container grower Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸 Find me on the map! Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,851 BananaBucks : 2,580 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,897 Times Was Thanked 11,750 Times in 4,900 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,948 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas , __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴 Last edited by cincinnana : 03-08-2019 at 06:02 AM.

03-12-2018, 08:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 108,991 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas I am amazed there is no company around doing "craft" bananas... Selling them over the internet even... I know a couple fruit companies are offering a few kinds, but their prices are so high they aren't getting around to too many people. Teach people what Gros Michel bananas are and they will pay premium prices for them. If I still lived in Illinois where there is no way I could grow my own, I would pay $2 a pound, maybe more to have them on occasion. (I am in Florida and still would..Other varieties as well.) Florida / Caribbean won't work, with the hurricanes and all. No way to have a reliable source... Great idea for someone with the capital and connections to think about. __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

03-12-2018, 08:11 PM	#10 (permalink)
cincinnana container grower Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸 Find me on the map! Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,851 BananaBucks : 2,580 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,897 Times Was Thanked 11,750 Times in 4,900 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,948 Times	Re: Post offices and bananas . __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴 Last edited by cincinnana : 03-08-2019 at 06:03 AM.

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