Chiquita suffers hurricane damage

Chiquita Brands has announced that its port facilities at Gulfport, Mississippi, were severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Gulfport is one of five U.S. ports the company uses to import bananas and other fresh produce. In 2004, Gulfport handled approximately one-quarter of the company's banana imports to the United States with weekly shipments from Central America. Chiquita will use alternative ports in Texas and Florida until its facilities in Gulfport are rebuilt.