The Banana : a mainstay of farming in the French West Indies
In 2009, the French Antilles produced 249,000 tonnes of export variety bananas, on 7,816 hectares, of which 95% were for export. Worldwide production is estimated at 69 million tonnes, and exports at 13.5 million. Bananas cover 25% of cultivated farmland in Martinique, and 10% in Guadeloupe, accounting for 54% and 20% of farm production respectively on the two islands.