The Beloved Banana Brand You Might Not See In Stores As Much

Anyone who's ever purchased a banana knows that Chiquita's iconic blue and yellow stickers are practically synonymous with the fruit. However, we may see fewer of this brand in grocery stores in the coming months. On June 2, as reported by Reuters, the Chiquita company announced that its administrative staff in Panama had left the country and was planning to lay off the rest of its local workforce. This follows a lengthy labour dispute, during which Chiquita fired nearly 5,000 employees in Panama after they went on strike over social benefits and pension issues — events already impacting banana exports.

While Chiquita has farms throughout Latin America, Panama is one of its key banana-producing hubs, exporting to the United States and Europe. Panama's lack of workers and frequent political protests and road blockades have slowed banana exports. These factors could mean we'll likely see fewer Chiquita products in North American stores and an increase in banana prices as bananas become less readily available.

Similar to how Valentine's Day chocolate was more expensive in 2025 and the cost of eggs makes you wonder if it's cheaper just to buy the chickens, Chiquita's latest actions raise interesting questions about how global events impact the supply chain and what is and isn't available at the grocery store. While Chiquita controls 90% of banana production in Panama (per Fresh Plaza), it also has farms in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Peru.

It's also not the only major company in the game. Dole and Del Monte also have banana farms in Panama and Latin America. So we may see more of those brands in the produce section. However, we may also see more brands like Bonita Bananas that hail from Ecuador and Turbana, which grows bananas in Colombia — only time will tell.

Lastly, if you're worried about potential banana shortages and whether you can try Martha Stewart's secret ingredient to level up her banana bread without worrying about your wallet, don't attempt to make canned bananas. Instead, freeze some bananas for future use. Frozen bananas make better banana bread anyway.