DUBLIN — Yes, they have more bananas.

Fruit supply companies Chiquita of the United States and Fyffes of Ireland said Monday they had agreed to merge to create the world’s biggest banana supplier.

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Chiquita of the United States and Fyffes of Ireland say they have agreed to merge to create the world’s biggest banana supplier. The Associated Press

The all-shares agreement means the two companies will become ChiquitaFyffes PLC, to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange and be headquartered in Dublin, a more tax-efficient corporate base.

The companies said the deal, which requires shareholder and regulatory approval in Ireland and the United States, would generate $40 million in pre-tax savings through more efficient operations.

Current Fyffes and Chiquita shareholders each would own half of a combined operation expected to generate $4.6 billion in annual sales.

The two companies said the merger would create a banana behemoth that ships more than 160 million crates worldwide, about a quarter more than either of their main rivals, Dole and Del Monte. ChiquitaFyffes also would become the world’s No. 3 distributor of pineapples and melons.

Shares in both companies surged, particularly Dublin-based Fyffes, because Monday’s deal valued Fyffes shares at 1.22 euros ($1.66).

Fyffes rose 46 percent to 1.30 euros ($1.80) on the Irish Stock Exchange. Chiquita rose nearly 13 percent to $12.20 in New York.

Fyffes, pronounced “Fifes,” is Europe’s biggest banana importer and the oldest industry brand, dating to 1929; Irish wits have long cited the company’s presence here as proof that Ireland really is a banana republic. The company enjoys exclusive export rights for the Central American country of Belize.

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