SATURDAY May 1 is National Banana Day and the Coffs Coast is the place to celebrate it.

The past year has been a hard one for many people on the land, but, in particular, Australian banana growers have really struggled.

First there was the east coast Australian bushfires in early 2020, and then the global pandemic hit.

COVID-19 significantly reduced the supply of international workers to Australian shores, affecting critical labour requirements for farmers.

This has resulted in fruit being left to rot, and the cost has been estimated to around $40 million.

In 2021 the hardships continued when Tropical Cyclone Niran hit the east coast, severely battering banana farms across Far North Queensland and, in some cases, wiping out entire crops from the extreme wind.

Some companies are running promotions, such as Coles donating 10 cents per kilo of bananas sold to Little Athletics and Australian Bananas running a competition for a banana-themed workout.

The Big Banana will have specials such as a chocolate banana split of the day, a bacon, banana and cheese toastie and a banana corn fritter, all featuring bananas grown at the property.

There will also be an online banana lolly guessing competition.

Although it is estimated that Australians eat five million bananas each day, the Australian Banana Growers’ Council is asking the public to support Australian banana farmers this National Banana Day and every day.

The Council highlights the health benefits of bananas, including that they are low in fat, cholesterol and salt, and are good sources of vitamin B6, potassium and carbohydrates.

Eating bananas frequently is a win-win.

 

By Andrew VIVIAN