Panama’s Banana Industry Awakens After Months of Silence

After months of silence in the banana fields of Bocas del Toro, the hum of machinery and the bustle of workers finally returned. Chiquita Panama is restarting operations, signaling a long-awaited revival after a crippling strike brought the region’s production to a standstill.

More than 1,600 workers have already been rehired as part of the company’s phased comeback, according to Panama’s Minister of Labor and Labor Development, Jackeline Muñoz, who said the plan calls for 3,000 hires in the initial stage—mostly for cleaning and restoring neglected banana plantations.

As covered by Expana here, Chiquita shut down operations in April 2025 following a prolonged strike over social security reforms that affected pension benefits. The work stoppage, which stretched on for over two months, left thousands of hectares idle and inflicted heavy losses on one of Panama’s most important export industries.

The reactivation plan will roll out in two stages: first, the cleanup and rehabilitation of plantations; then a broader push into maintenance, logistics, and renewed production—expected to create another 2,000 jobs.

Government officials expect banana exports to resume between December 2025 and January 2026, supported by an estimated $30 million investment to restore about 5,000 hectares under a new operating model.

Bananas remain Panama’s top export, representing 17.5% of total foreign sales in the first quarter of 2025. Exports reached $324.4 million, the highest level in fifteen years, a sign of just how vital this industry remains to the nation’s economy.

Image source: Getty