Question

Why can't the USA produce bananas?

Answer 1

The reason why the US can't produce bananas is on a large scale because of the climate in America is not really suitable for growing bananas

And even the warmest United States, States have cooler winter seasons which slow or stop the plant growth of bananas.

So the United States can and does produce some bananas, but not on a scale that is large enough to meet the national demand of bananas.

Americans eat around 26 pounds of bananas per person per year.

And over 99 percent of the supply of bananas are also imported from tropical regions like South America and Central America.

Bananas grow best and thrive best in the True Tropics with year round warm weather.

Small volumes of bananas are grown in Hawaii, which is the largest produce of bananas in the United States.

Florida also grows some bananas and some limited and non commercial growth of bananas also occur in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and California.

Land is also expensive in states like Hawaii and often is prioritized for higher value crops than bananas and even tourism.

It's also actually cheaper for United States, companies to import bananas from other low cost international banana producers, than it is to scale the domestic production of bananas.

Also major banana companies like Del Monte, Chiquita and Dole have also spend decades building massive infrastructure, which includes specialized shipping ports and plantations in Latin America.

Most of the bananas that enter the United States, enter the United States, through East Coast and Gulf Ports, and trying to supply the entire country with bananas from a few domestic locations like Hawaii is currently not a profitable or even logistically viable option.