Ecuador exported more than 600 tons of avocado in 2021

In Ecuador avocado is grown in 1,750 hectares nationwide, corresponding to 70 producers, distributed in 16 provinces. Of this non-traditional product in 2021, more than 600 tons were exported in approximately 100 shipments.

The Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad) mentions that last year’s exports were made because the product has the ability to meet all the different phytosanitary requirements established by each destination.

“The export requirements are established by each of the importing countries and Agrocalidad is responsible for certifying compliance with these requirements in each export carried out; natural or legal persons can consult the information on the conditions they must meet to carry out their exports, in the consultation system”, emphasizes Agrocalidad.

Avocado cultivation is concentrated in the northern Sierra, mainly in Carchi, Imbabura and Pichincha. Although there is also production in Santa Elena, Los Ríos, Guayas, Tungurahua, Manabí, Esmeraldas, Morona Santiago, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Azuay, El Oro, Sucumbíos, Chimborazo and Pastaza.

Among the different varieties of avocado that exist in Ecuador, there are three types: Antillean, Mexican and Guatemalan. Among Guatemalans, the strong variety predominates, which is the most cultivated and consumed species at the national level, although in recent years the Hass variety has been introduced, which has become an export product that is already reaching the European markets.

Corpoaguacate, an organization that brings together producers and other actors in the sector, mentions that the production of the fruit occurs in different months of the year. On the Coast it takes place once, from March to July, while in the Sierra it happens twice, from January to March and from August to December.

Information provided by the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries (Mpceip) states that the avocado production chain generates 18,408 jobs. This product has Good Agricultural Practices-BPA certification and there are more and more plantations with international certifications, Global Gap, which opens the way for its export.

The portfolio also mentions that there are currently 44 open markets for the different types of avocado produced in the country.

Thirty are in Europe, among which are countries such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland.

Another nine in Asiamainly include Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Israel, Turkey, Singapore and Russia.

In America there are two more: Canada and Colombia, and in Oceania, New Zealand.

During 2021, The main destinations for Ecuadorian exports of the more than 600 tons of avocado registered were Spain with 78.28%, Colombia with 6.24% and Hong Kong with a 5.54% share. These three countries accounted for 90.05% of the total exports of this fruit, according to the ministry.

In the last three years, the average income from Ecuadorian avocado exports amounts to $2.2 million.

Hass avocado makes its way into Europe

Meanwhile, the Hass avocado is now the product that the country is promoting since It has the advantages of its oil content, which ranges between 18% and 20%, a thick and rough crust that makes it resistant to blows and other effects during storage for the transfer of the fruit, according to data from the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP).

Marcelo Reinoso, president of the Federation of Fruit Growers of Northern Ecuador (Fedefrunor), He stressed, moments before the export of the second container with 21,500 kilos of Hass avocado to Europe carried out on Monday, that “Ecuador has the capacity to produce more than 65,000 hectares of this avocado throughout the entire inter-Andean alley.”

“We are facing green gold and the future of this country, black gold (oil) could stop being a pipe dream, it could be a reality for the country that can be replaced by this beautiful green gold, which would represent income for the country of between 1,200 and 1,500 million”, stressed Reinoso, who trusts that related public institutions continue to support the development of this product.

On the current Hass avocado route, Reinoso says that the fruit leaves Guayaquil, enters through the Netherlands and from there it is distributed to France, Belgium and Germany, and that there are already projects for it to reach more countries in the European Union and the world.

“Ecuador has a history of being an exporter of fruits, cocoa, flowers, Ecuadorian technicians have international recognition,” he adds and comments that there are plans to export mango, granadilla, uvilla, tree tomato, babaco hand in hand with the Government.

For his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Pedro Álava, stressed that the government of President Guillermo Lasso Mendoza has prioritized the production of avocado, hemp and pitahaya, to generate employment and development in the rural sector, so from its portfolio will continue to encourage the cultivation of these and more products. (I)