The Ecuadorian pitahaya continues to open space in the international market, a fruit that entered China for the first time on April 10. So far this month, a national company has exported the fruit and granadilla to France for the first time, while three other companies have reached new customers in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands, according to ProEcuador.

This 2023, China – the country with which the trade agreement was signed on May 10 – has also become a new market for Ecuadorian pitahaya. The first shipment was 7,745 kilograms from four export companies from Palora, in the province of Morona Santiago, according to the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries.

Palora producers plan to send 1,000 tons of pitahaya to China annually

According to this state portfolio, China has joined 58 countries where Ecuadorian fruit arrives, and Ecuador has become the leading exporter of this fruit in South America and the eighth in the world.

Now the Deputy Ministry of Export and Investment Promotion, through Pro Ecuador, indicates that at the beginning of July, the Ecuadorian company Pitabel managed to import yellow and red pitahaya, as well as passion fruit, into France for the first time.

On the other hand, the Ecuadorian company Equadragon Fruit Company exported red pitahaya to a new client in the USA, a country that is currently the main market for Ecuadorian fruit with 84% of total exports, followed by Canada, Colombia and Singapore.

In 2022, Ecuador exported more than 23,000 tons of pitahaya, representing an income of more than 99 million dollars.

On the other hand, the Palora Exporter company, originally from Moron Santiago, has completed negotiations for yellow pitahaya with a new client in Canada.

Negotiations with Canada on the Ecuador trade agreement continue, while signatures with China and Korea are expected

Recently, Gran Fruta Company, a Quito company, exported yellow and red dragon fruit and passion fruit to a new client in the Netherlands.

Negotiations were also held with other countries so that the fruit would continue to reach other markets. Last June, a binational business conference pitahaya edition was held in Lima, Peru, where ten Peruvian companies interested in this Ecuadorian fruit and nine local companies participated.

Yellow dragon fruit is looking for buyers in the Peruvian market

Pitahaya is produced mainly in Morona Santiago, Pichincha, Manabí and Guayas. In addition, among others in Zamora Chinchipe, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Bolívar, Cañar, Los Ríos, Napo, Sucumbíos.

Morona Santiago is one of the areas that stands out for the production of yellow pitahaya, with plantations covering about 3,000 hectares.