One of the most popular entertaining facts about Iceland is that the Northern Island turned out to be the largest manufacturer in Europe (according to other versions - exporter) of bananas. We checked whether this is really so.

Information about the championship of a small country in this exotic indicator is found in a large number of printed booksBut many could learn about her thanks to the release of Qi quotes on the BBC channel, which was aired on December 15, 2006. The show was then led by the famous actor and writer Stephen Fry.

The first question that arises from the layman when he encounters this fact: how can bananas grow in Iceland? Of course, in a separate greenhouse, anything can grow, but we are talking about an industrial scale on an island where the temperature reaches –20 ° C.

Nevertheless, bananas in Iceland are really grown. The first seedlings appeared here in July 1939 thanks to Khlin Eiriksdottir and her father (who, as it was easy to guess, was the name of Airik). Well, the first fruits on their family plantation in Reykjavik were raised two years later.

And in 1942, Khlin presented several plants to the state, and from that moment the cultivation of bananas in Iceland was put on a stream. There were two prerequisites for this: the beginning of the heyday of geothermal energy (and Iceland is known for its geysers) and high prices for fruit imports into the country. In 1951, a large greenhouse was built for bananas, and the whole country learned about them. In 1958, local newspapers wrote O 200 fruiting plants.

However, the situation did not last a commercially favorable for growing bananas. In 1960, the Iceland government abolished the import of fruit imports, and the market was filled with cheap fruits from all over the world. It became unrealistic to compete with them to local manufacturers - energy, but the abundance of sunlight is needed for a quick growth, and there are big problems in the northern country. If the equator is required for ripening for several months, then in Northern Iceland the process lasts two years.

The Icelanders did not give up their hands and continue to grow bananas, but this case is more likely to be a hobby or serves as a tribute to a recent tradition. Banana plantation today has 600-700 plants, which give from 500 kg to 2 tons of fruits per year. While Iceland, according to data The UN food and agricultural organization, in 2019, brought to the country about 3,000 tons of bananas.

However, even with a huge share of the import of overseas bananas, Iceland could theoretically be a leader in their cultivation only among European countries. The same food and agricultural organization of the UN will help us to dispel doubts about it, according to data Which, in Spain, annually grows 386 tons of bananas, in Portugal - 22,000 tons, in Greece 2000 tons, in Italy - 337 tons. And if Spain and France grow bananas outside Europe (on Canaries, Guadeloupe and Martinics), then Greece, Italy and Portugal - within its historical part of the world.

Thus, the information that Iceland is the European leader in the cultivation of bananas is just a city legend.