In supermarkets, six out of seven brands of canned fruit are imported. Most from Chile and Greece.
The horticultural activity in the country is very varied and is mainly concentrated in the Sierra. Of the 2.6 million cultivated hectares in the country, 9% corresponds to horticultural area and specifically 4.5% to fruit trees.
The Sierra zone participates with 54% of its area planted in fruit trees, the rest in the Ecuadorian Coast with 41% and the East with 5%.
This, according to figures from the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (Fontagro), a cooperation program administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which also highlights that Ecuador receives 43% of processed fruit and vegetable products from Chile, the Netherlands 20% and Greece 13%.
A large part of these products are fruit preserves that are sold in the local market, since this industry is not competitive in the country.
These are the 10 products that have been exported the most from Ecuador so far in 2021
During a tour of a team from Diario EL UNIVERSO, it was found that out of every seven canned brands in supermarkets, six are imported.
Why? Galo Chuchuca, Food Technician at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Espol), explains that the local industry resorts to importing these canned fruits because the country does not have uniformity in the characteristics of the fruits or in volumes. of production that is economically feasible for its processing.
He adds that some varieties are more attractive to consumers than others because of the size or sweetness of the fruit.
“For the canning industry, it is very important to have large volumes of fruit that have uniformity and compliance with quality standards according to the variety of fruit,” mentions the expert, who highlights that Ecuador complies in many cases with the standards of quality, but this focuses more on fresh fruits.
Chuchuca believes that Ecuadorian fruits could also be used for canning. However, it indicates that it is still necessary to work on production volumes and standardize agricultural and post-harvest practices.
The industry confirms these disadvantages in the local market.
For example, Grupo Vilaseca with its Facundo brand, which sells pineapple, peach and fruit cocktail preserves, imports these products from Greece, Chile and Thailand.
Juan Diego Castanier, director of Local Business of the firm, confirms that these are fruits that are not produced or processed in the country, or that in the case of pineapples they do not have the necessary scale to reach the costs that countries dedicated to these productions do.
“Ecuador, being a small country with a small population, in relation to other producers, does not achieve the scale of planting, harvesting and production necessary to be competitive in these markets,” explains Castanier, who assures that the Vilaseca Group monopolizes between 50 % and 60% of the industry in these categories.
Corporación Favorita, which has three canned brands: Supermaxi, Aki and La Original, also imports these products from Chile and Greece, mentions Rubén Salazar, corporate manager of the company, who points out that peaches and fruit cocktail are marketed under these brands.
“The sizes that are produced locally are not the ones required for this type of canning and there is no one to produce it locally,” says Salazar, who describes that in the countries of origin, Chile and Greece, the process is regular: collection, selection , processing and packaging according to the requirement of the chain.
Meanwhile, Andrés Pérez, director of Institutional Relations at Pronaca, assures that the firm only imports fruits or varieties that are not available locally because they require specific climatic conditions (four seasons).
Ecuadorian bananas are sold abroad with more than 50 brands
Pronaca imports canned peaches, fruit cocktails and cherries from Chile for its two brands: Gustadina, the standard brand that has a wide portfolio of sauces, jams and preserves in general; and Rubino, which offers a premium portfolio.
Meanwhile, Pérez points out that Pronaca has a high consumption of local fruit purchases, such as blackberries, strawberries, guavas, figs, uvillas, pears, tree tomatoes, and pineapples, for the production of jams, syrups, and other sauces.
Kléber Sigüenza, former president of the Chamber of Agriculture of the Second Zone, regrets that it is currently impossible to develop this type of industry in the country, except for small niche craft markets.
He says that countries like Chile or Greece have advantages due to their high production and access to cheap and long-term capital to invest in technology and marketing that the export industry requires.
“Canned foods, due to their small size and high relative price, are easily exportable (tradable) since they have low transportation and logistics costs in general, which means that countries that have high production of fruit have a comparative advantage due to economies of scale”, explains the expert.
For its part, Chuchuca recognizes that there are few initiatives in the country to develop comprehensive plans that allow the recovery of the fruit canning industry.
However, it stands out that in Espol there is technical support for the productive sector throughout the value chain, that is, in the cultivation of varieties, fruit harvest, production and development of products, business plans, etc.
“We have been working together with the food industry for several years to offer alternatives and add value to Ecuadorian fruits,” he says.
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
