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The Ministry of Production also indicated that the country appears as the eighth supplier worldwide. The variety that is exported is the Golden Sweet.
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Ecuador is listed as the first pineapple exporting country in South America, affirms the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries.
In fact, according to the State portfolio, thanks to the good performance of fruit shipments, it has also allowed it to position itself as the eighth supplier worldwide. The exported Ecuadorian pineapple also has certifications such as Global GAP, Rainforest Alliance and BASC.
Between January and November 2021, pineapple exports from Ecuador reached $46 million, according to the records of the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor). The figure is 22% more than the same period in 2020 when $37 million was sent and 16% compared to 2017.
This means that in 2021 the highest amount of shipments of the fruit worldwide was reached. In fact, Ecuador also grew in tonnage. The country went from exporting 75,573 tons in 2020 to 90,186 tons until November last year.
The variety exported by the country is Golden Sweet and is grown mainly in Santo Domingo. Until 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture recorded that there was a production of 104,059 tons of fresh pineapple nationwide.
| Exports per year (January to November) | Amount in millions of $ |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 39 |
| 2018 | 37 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 37 |
| 2021 | 46 |
main destinations
The first commercial destination for Ecuadorian pineapple is the European Union. Holland and Germany appear in that block as two of the main buyers.
Chile, on the other hand, is the first country as a commercial destination for Ecuadorian fruit with an annual average demand of more than $12 million. In 2021 alone, he demanded $15 million. Other countries that acquire the fruit are the United States and Argentina.
Chile and the Netherlands, for example, accounted for 65% of Ecuador’s shipments, with $29 million exported between January and November 2021. The Netherlands acquired, in 2021, almost three times more than in 2020 and previous years.
New Zealand, Uruguay and Russia also appear as consumers, although their participation is minimal.
Pablo Ribadeneira, President of the exporter Agroeden, explained that a factor that benefited the position of Ecuadorian fruit in South American countries was that competitors such as Colombia reduced their shipments. In the specific case of the firm, in the last year a good performance of the demand was registered in countries of the Southern Cone such as Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, where an average of eight weekly containers are sent.
According to data from the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, the pineapple production activity generates 2,500 jobs.
Xavier Rosero, Executive Vice President of Fedexpor, said that the demand for fruit on a global scale has increased since the start of the pandemic, and tropical fruits, such as pineapple, began to position themselves in international demand.
In this sense, he stresses that it is important that Ecuador aims to recover its productive profile for this fruit, which at some point was affected by losses in terms of cost competitiveness. “It is necessary for the country to work on an internal agenda to increase the productivity of the crop, to improve the competitiveness of internal costs and that it be accompanied by the opening of markets with greater demand that allows pineapple to enter with fewer tariffs.” (I)
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